Ecuador Agricultural Products

Banana I Coffee I Palm Hearts I Asparagus I Canned vegetables I Broccoli I Fruits I Cocoa

Banana

Ecuador is the world's premier exporter of Bananas which are available all year round due to the 0.00 Latitude that the country sits on therefore enjoying all year round tropical climates. Currently the country exports to the main countries of the United States, Russia, Japan, China and the European Union.

Some 325,000 acres or 130,000 hectares currently exists in the planting allocation of bananas in Ecuador while the fruit is exported with strong polybag lined protection, contained within boxes and put on pallets for onward shipping.

Plantain

Ecuador is also a major world exporters of the fruit Plantain and is harvested on 200,000 acres or 80,00 hectares of plantations while Barragante and Fhia-21 being the main types of export.

Plantains are always packed by hand in cardboard boxes, 50 pounds to the box and shipped in refrigerated holders to maintain freshness. Ecuadorian plantains as with Bananas are available throughout the year and are shipped mainly to the United States, with smaller quotas sent to El Salvador, Belgium, Portugal and France. Hemp rates as a major export in Ecuador's diverse variety of products: for example exports amounted to 13,209 metric tons in 1997 or around US$14,149,000.

37,898 acres or 15,159 hectares of hemp are currently being cultivated in Ecuador, producing fiber for year-around export. The major importers are the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Japan and some Middle East countries.

Current uses and end applications for this product can be found in a wide variety of products primarily security papers for printing currency and bond and stock certificates. It is also used in, cigarette paper, textiles, tea bags anesthetic gases, disposable diapers, and ship cordage and as insulation material for power cables and various wires.

See our exporters list for the most exported varieties such as: Cavendish, Processed Banano and Plantain.

Coffee

Ecuadorian coffee is mainly extracted from Coffee robusta trees, favored in plantings because of their respect in world markets. The country's major coastal coffee-growing district has around 398,00 hectares. Exports mainly consist of: roasted beans, bagged in 69-kilogram (152-pound) burlap sacks: ground coffee, packed in boxes weighing 25 to 30 kilograms (55 to 66 pounds): frozen coffee extract, shipped in 55-gallon drums.

Ecuadorian coffee is exported throughout the year, to around 50 countries and the major importers are the United States, Italy France, Holland, Germany, Spain, Chile, Colombia, Italy, Poland, Japan, Belgium, Canada and Argentina. See The exporters list for this product.

Palm Hearts

Hearts of palm are the tender core centers of the young palm trees, primarily the peach pal, known in Ecuador as pejibaye.
These hearts are high in fiber and contain zero levels of cholesterol. Ecuador's help in preservation of the ecology and environment means hearts of palm from tropical forests are not legally allowed to be harvested for export. And so, 3,000 hectares of palm plantations help meet world requirements.

Palm hearts are shipped in the can or in glass jars, while the main importers are France and Argentina. See The exporters list for this product.

Asparagus

Rich in vitamins A and C, low in salt and rich in Iron Asparagus is a highly nutritious vegetable. In 1997 the country shipped 404 Tons or in value around US $385,000. On 397 hectares or 873 acres of commercial plantations.

Garden asparagus is eaten fresh, frozen, canned, or powdered in processed foods. The traditional Jersey Giant and Mary Washington varieties and strong hybrids UC 157 F1, UC 800 and UC 72 are all grown in Ecuador.

Asparagus stalks are exported frozen and canned, if they are sent fresh they are packed in wooden crates of 4.5 to 5.5 kilograms. See The exporters list for this product.

Canned Vegetables

Ecuador has through the law of comparative advantages in agricultural production and food processing in terms of the cheap labor force afforded major growth in exports of canned vegetables.

See The exporters list for this product.

Broccoli

This vegetable has a deeper green than other countries due to the brighter sunlight levels at the Equator. The florets also grow more compactly in the sierra (highlands). 211 hectares or 528 acres are currently in production and the major export varieties are Legacy and marathon with around 10,911 metric tons worth US$10,403,000 were duly shipped in 1997.

Broccoli florets are quick-frozen and sent overseas in refrigerated containers of 20 metric tons. Florets are selected and packed according to their diameter and length of cut-in various dimensions of 30-50, 20-40, 15-30, 10-20, or 5-20- and packed in corrugated cardboard boxes of 5 and 10-kilogram capacity (11 and 22 pounds).

Ecuador ships broccoli throughout the year and the main countries demanding this product are Holland, Belgium, Italy, Germany the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden. See The exporters list for this product.

Fruits

Melon

As well as a rich source of minerals Melon also provides high levels of vitamins A, B1, B2 and C and farms depending upon demand between 2000-5000 hectares per annum, the main types are honeydews, Yellow Canary melons and Cantaloupes.

The main harvesting occurs between Sept-Jan and is packed in 11kg (22lbs) boxes which take dependent upon size around 5-15 melons per box. The prime importing countries are the United States, Argentina, Germany, England, Portugal and Colombia.

Pineapple

Grown on a farmed area of around 4,950 hectares in 1997 Ecuador shipped approximately 9,421 metric tons in fruit and juices amounting to around US$3,643,000.

Pineapple is also a rich source for minerals and Vitamins A, B, and C while the main two crops in Ecuador are the Cavensa Lisa and Española Roja (Spanish Red).

Other applications in addition to whole fruit and juices include jam, canned fruit in chunks and as concentrated juice. Most of the fruit is exported to France, Switzerland, Brazil Chile and the United states for processed pineapple.

Passion Fruit

Also known as Maracuya in Non-English speaking countries this fruit is rich as many Ecuadorian fruits in Vitamin A, B5 and C although its vitamin levels are the highest of all the worlds fruits.

As with most fruit farming is undertaken on around 3,610 hectares throughout the year while the main importers are Germany, Belgium, France, Sweden, Holland, Colombia and the United States.

The fruit is exported in 55 gallon tanks and as many as 100 per single container in frozen tanks at 18o C (0o F) and the Maracuya concentrate totaled in 1997 15,474 M Tons or in value around US$ 33,441,000.

Strawberry

Rich in Vitamins A and C this is another fruit that due to all year round climatic advantages can be shipped all year long while other continents suffer harsher Winters. The main recognized names of strawberry in Ecuador are Chandler, Oso Grande, Taft, Fresno, and Tioga. Non-processed strawberries are protected in plastic baskets of 2, 3 and 5 kilogram (4.4, 6.6, and 11 pounds), then further covered in cellophane to keep their freshness.

Ecuador also exports its strawberries for jams, in cans, frozen in syrup, and individually quick-frozen for yogurts and ice cream production. The main users are the Unites States, Germany, Russia Argentina, France, Holland, Spain and the United Kingdom Colombia.

Mango

Mango, is as many fruits from Ecuador due to its great all year round climate and rich soils very high in Vitamins A and C as well as carbohydrates and further minerals. The current allocation of land given to the Mango is around 4,107 hectares and Exports began in 1986 with the main varieties being Tommy Atkins, Edward Haden, Kent, and Van Dyke.

The main end uses of this fruit are used mainly for jams, ice cream, juice or canned and is exported fresh. The major importers are United States, Spain, Holland, Italy, France and Argentina. The regular shipments are made in plain cardboard boxes which has between 8-16 pieces according to the various sizes.

See The exporters list for these products.

Cocoa

Ecuador has the highest export in both bulk and in financial trading in the world as its cocoa beans along with semi-processed cocoa products used in confectionary and beverage usage.

The total area currently used for planting and harvesting cocoa beans in Ecuador is around 837,688 acres or 335,075 hectares. The major countries importing this product are the United States, Japan, Argentina, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Spain and Chile.

As well as all products being available throughout the year for security the beans are packed in 69kg burlap bags while cocoa liquor or fluid paste is exported in 30kg bags. Finally, the powder is sent in 25kg bags while coca butter is sent also in the same units. The beauty of the cocoa bean is its multivitamin properties in that it has high levels of fat, protein, minerals and carbohydrates.

See The exporters list for this product.