According to Ecuadorian media El Telegrafo, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) recently released the news that the first batch of Ecuadorian dragon fruit will be exported to China soon.
Patricio Almeida, executive director of the Ecuadorian Agricultural Animal and Plant Health Control Authority (Agrocalidad), said that after the joint efforts of the phytosanitary agencies of both countries, dragon fruit producers and exporters, the quarantine management system and packaging process of Ecuadorian dragon fruit have met the relevant standards, and the farms approved by the Chinese General Administration of Customs will start exporting according to the agreement signed in 2022. The agreement will start to export.
It is reported that 33 dragon fruit farms (with a total planting area of about 400 hectares) and 19 packing plants in Palora have been approved by the General Administration of Customs of China and are expected to start shipping as soon as next week.
Francisco Ortega, executive director of exporter Finca Procel, said about 150,000-200,000 boxes of kirin fruit will be shipped from Palora this month, and next month’s exports will be very close. He expects the price of unicorn fruit to be US$3-5/kg in the Chinese market at the beginning of export.
According to Ortega, Parola, the main producing area of Ecuadorian unicorn fruit, can produce about 20-25 million kilograms for export. For this year, January to March is the most exported period, June to July is the off-season, August production is relatively small, and October to December production is large.
Thanks to its climate and geographical conditions, Ecuadorian unicorn fruit is of excellent quality and taste, with a weight of over 300 grams per fruit and a sweetness of over 20 degrees. According to the report released by Agrocalidad, Ecuador exported 5,975 batches of unicorn fruit in 2021, totaling 17,895 tons, an increase of 60% compared with 11,260 tons in 2020.
The area under dragon fruit cultivation in Ecuador is 7,216.73 hectares, and 1,891 producers among the registered producers of Agrocalidad are related to dragon fruit export business. The provinces with the highest dragon fruit production are Morona Santiago, Pichincha, Manabí and Guayas. At present, Ecuadorian dragon fruit can be exported to 58 countries around the world, and the United States is its main export destination market, accounting for 84% of the total exports, followed by Canada, Colombia and Singapore. The Ecuadorian dragon fruit industry predicts that the consumption of unicorn fruit in the Chinese market will reach three times that of the United States, making it the largest export destination of Ecuador.
Source: International Fruit and Vegetable Report
Post time: Apr-19-2023