"Ecuador: "Demand for dragon fruit grows"

Despite the effects that the rains caused by El Niño had on the last weeks of the dragon fruit harvest in Ecuador, the first campaign this year ended with very positive results. Since the harvest of this exotic fruit is very sensitive to abrupt climate changes, such as excess water, which can severely affect the quality of the fruit, the results of the harvest were uncertain up until the end of the first season, i.e. two weeks ago.

This yellow ovoid fruit that has bracts along its bark, a white pulp, and black seeds, is an exotic fruit originated in the Amazon of Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico, among other countries. "Each country grows it at different times, so there isn't very strong competition. Our advantage is that we produce it when no other countries produces it. Additionally, Ecuador's dragon fruit is larger in size and sweeter than the other varieties, which makes it perfect for the markets that demand these characteristics," said Bayron Ortiz, of Organpit.

Demand and export of this fruit is gradually growing in the European, Chinese, and the US markets, among others. China is the biggest importer of dragon fruit and, together with the US, they are the main importers of dragon fruit. "Chinese consumers prefer large and very sweet varieties. That's why 90% of our exports go to this destination. In contrast, the United States and Europe prefer smaller varieties, so the dragon fruit from other countries is more suitable for these markets," continued Ortiz.

Currently, there are only a handful of Ecuadorian exporters engaged in cultivating this fruit, so that internal competition is not very strong and, given the short time it can be stored, producers often work together to supply importers. "Right now, we are the largest producer of dragon fruit in Ecuador, so we often work in cooperation with other exporters. Production is very big and we can't wait long to market it. We believe that this teamwork will continue to give favorable results in the coming seasons and we are confident that demand will continue to increase," concluded the representative of the Ecuadorian company.

For more information: