Ecuador: Climate hasn't affected broccoli much

According to an analysis of the sector developed by ProEcuador, broccoli is a very healthy vegetable that enjoys great appreciation and demand in the international market. In Ecuador, it is produced in three regions: Cotopaxi, Pichincha, and Imbabura. "Production has been steadily growing. Ecuador mainly produces the Shogun and Legacy varieties because they adapt better to altitude and climate," he said. 

In 2016, the main export destination was Japan, as it received 38% of all the broccoli exported, followed by the United States with 31% and Germany with 11.6%. According to data from the Bank of Ecuador, broccoli exports have increased in recent years. In 2016, exports grew by 4.61% in value and 4.43% in volume over the 2015.

Mr Guardera said Ecuador had to compete with other producing countries. "We have to compete with Mexico in the United States, Spain in Europe, and China in the Japanese market. Our main advantage, however, is the quality of our products." Another advantage that Ecuador has is that only this country can supply broccoli throughout the whole year and at a constant quality, according to ProEcuador. This crop is hardly affected by pests and insects because it is produced at a high altitude. This results in less use of pesticides, which, in turn, endows the product with a greater quality.

"There are weather factors that constantly threaten our crops. Like El Niño, which causes flooding and excessive rainfall, especially in the coastal regions in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. We've also noticed it in the Ecuadorian mountains, where we experienced some weather changes. Fortunately, this changes haven't affected our crops much. The performance has been 10% lower than expected and there have been some delays, but we're sure there won't be any losses. We still plan to produce some 1,800 to 2,000 tons per month and mantain these volumes the rest of the year. We sell our broccoli ready to eat, but we also sell it in the pesticide-free products segment. We have high expectations of growth in this market segment," he stated.

Since its inception in 1996, Ecofroz was conceived to have the most technological advanced individual fast freezing facilities (IQF) in South America. This made it possible for them to offer products of the highest quality from the mountains of Ecuador. The company is not only engaged in product processing, as it is an integrated company that has been owned by a group of farmers for many generations. Ecofroz produces 60% of its crop on its own farms, but also works with farmers that have 30 to 150 hectares of production, distributed in different areas of the Andes. The company conducts good agricultural practice audits to ensure that its activities meet GlobalGAP requirements.