Several days ago, the Hortifrut company exported a shipment of 5 tons of blueberries from Ecuador to the Netherlands by sea. The fruit was produced in the Zapotillo canton of the province of Loja, and the shipment was inspected and approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock's Phyto and Animal Regulation and Control Agency (Agrocalidad).
With this shipment, Ecuador will begin to enter the international blueberry market. The Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) and the Ecuadorian Federation of Blueberry Producers and Exporters (Fepexa) work together to strengthen the country's blueberry chain. The MAG also works with the private sector to articulate training in this area for export, especially in the provinces of Imbabura and Carchi.
Ecuador started growing blueberries in 2015 and there are currently approximately 50 hectares dedicated to this crop in Carchi, Imbabura, Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Azuay, and Loja. Tests and trials are being carried out with different varieties in Santa Elena, El Oro, and Manabi.
"Ecuador has many opportunities to become an agro-export investment destination; its land is fertile, it has a favorable climate, its geographical position allows the development of competitive fruits and it has qualified labor," stated Patricio Almeida, executive director of Agrocalidad.
Source: agricultura.gob.ec