Francisco Ortega of the Ecuador Exporters Guild celebrated when Ecuador obtained permission to export dragon fruit to the Chinese market. Francisco is the guild representative for yellow dragon fruit producers and exporters in Ecuador.
The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, visited China at the end of January. One of the goals of this visit was to complete the trade negotiations that would grant Ecuador permission to export dragon fruit to China. After the negotiations were completed, another government representative travelled to China a few days ago to sign the official agreement between Ecuador and China.
Francisco celebrated the most recent developments: "We are very pleased with this new agreement. We expect to fly the first yellow dragon fruit from Ecuador to China in the first week of June. Ecuador has enormous potential. We can supply a huge volume of dragon fruit all year round."
"Ecuador is currently finishing up the last work that will help the Ecuador dragon fruit industry meet the quarantine and inspection requirements for the Chinese market. Our first dragon fruit for the Chinese market will arrive via air freight. Afterwards we will analyze the possibilities of sea freight. We have to be able to guarantee high product quality, beautiful appearance (unblemished), vivid colors, and suitable size. Our dragon fruit growers also have (BPA) Good Agricultural Practices and Global GAP certification. That is how we guarantee sustained trade in the future."
Ecuador produces red and yellow dragon fruit. The overall surface area devoted to red dragon fruit is expected to expand to 3,000 hectares by 2027, while the overall surface area devoted to yellow dragon fruit is expected to expand to 6,042 hectares. The production volume is estimated at 60,421,714 tons, of which 70% is destined for the export market. "Yellow dragon fruit is very popular in the international market. People are not as familiar with the yellow dragon fruit variety. The flavor and color are both unique and draw the attention of customers. The BRIX value of yellow dragon fruit often exceeds 24," said Ortega. "That is one of the reasons for the popularity of yellow dragon fruit."
"We have been preparing for the Chinese market for years. We eagerly awaited permission to export to the Chinese market, so that we could give Chinese consumers an opportunity to experience the unique flavor and product quality of our dragon fruit," said Ortega. "Opening up the Chinese market is a huge step for our guild and for the Ecuadorian export market."
For more information:
Francisco Ortega
Ecuador Exporters Guild
E-mail: [email protected]
WhatsApp: (+593) 995133465
