Ecuador sent its first official shipment of pitahaya to the Chinese market on Monday, April 10. Four exporting companies of Palora, canton of the province of Morona Santiago, exported 7,745 kg of pitahaya to the Asian giant.
Thus, China joins the 58 countries to which Ecuador already sends pitahaya, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) stated. The Agency for Regulation and Control of Plant and Animal Health (Agrocalidad) inspected the fruit before the shipment was made.
The fruit was sent by air from the Mariscal Sucre International Airport, in Quito, after an event attended by government authorities, including the head of the MAG, Eduardo Izaguirre, the Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment, and Fisheries, Julio Jose Prado, and the executive director of Agrocalidad, Patricio Almeida.
“Today a new market is opened for the Ecuadorian pitahaya. Eight tons of Ecuadorian fruit are already on their way to China. The Asian giant has a market of 400 million potential customers for the country's agricultural products,” stated Izaguirre.
China is one of the most important destination markets for Ecuador, Almeida stated. “Our commitment is to continue working for this sector meeting the requirements and quality standards demanded by these markets,” stated the head of Agrocalidad.
“We export pitahaya to 58 countries, including China. We have the largest market in the world for this fruit. The technical closure of the trade agreement with the Asian giant, and its early signing, was fundamental for the country,” stated Minister Prado.
The cultivation of pitahaya is an important source of income for Ecuador's economy. The pitahaya is produced mainly in Morona Santiago, Pichincha, Manabi, and Guayas, but it's also grown in Bolivar, Cañar, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Sucumbios, and Zamora Chinchipe.
Palora is one of the main yellow-pitahaya-producing areas in Ecuador, with plantations covering around 2,400 hectares. In 2022, Ecuador exported more than 23,000 tons of pitahaya to different destinations for more than $99 million.
Currently, the United States is the main destination market with 84% of the total volume exported, followed by Canada, Colombia, and Singapore.
Ecuador's pitahaya has been trying to enter China since 2012
In July 2012, Ecuador requested China open its borders to the country's pitahaya. This process consisted of eight phases and the last one was carried out when the technicians of that country carried out a virtual inspection to corroborate the implementation of the provisions of the quarantine protocol for their export, the MAG stated.
Since April 3, the production farms and collection centers that appear in a list on the page of the Chinese Customs can access the market, since they have complied with the protocols required by the phytosanitary authorities to export to that market.
Source: eluniverso.com