Precise production and export figures of the different origins for chayote are hard to come by — no specific HS or SITC code exists for this vegetable, which originates in Central America. What is beyond doubt, however, is that Costa Rica has established itself as one of the world's leading producers and exporters. Costa Rican company B&C Exportadores even claims to be the largest chayote exporter on the planet. The vegetable belongs to the cucumber family and is rich in vitamin C.
© B&C Exportadores
According to figures from Procomer, Costa Rica's export promotion agency, the country exported €27.2 million worth of chayote last year. Of that total, 73% went to the United States, 13% to the European Union—mainly Spain, the Netherlands, and Portugal—7% to Canada, 4% to the United Kingdom, and the remaining 3% to Puerto Rico. Exports jumped sharply in 2023, driven by a surge in demand from the U.S. market. Over the past decade, sales to the EU have remained steady, averaging €3.2 million a year.
Three siblings, one mission
B&C is a Costa Rican family business specialising in the export of chayote, cassava, yams, ginger, and squash, both fresh and frozen. The company is run today by three siblings: Laura, Alberto, and Vinicio Bonilla. "Vinicio handles all field operations and is on the farms every single day; Laura is the managing director and looks after the finances; and I run the three packing centres," Alberto explains. "We are farmers; we are packers."
© FreshPlazaTheir father founded the business in the late 1980s, and the second generation has not only kept it going but taken it to a whole new level. The frozen products division, in particular, has grown significantly under their watch. What was once a modest operation has become what Alberto, without a moment's hesitation, calls the world's largest chayote exporter. "Mexico may have bigger producers. But we are the biggest exporters of chayote." On cassava, the claim is equally bold: "B&C is the largest cassava exporter in Costa Rica and, by extension, one of the largest in the world."
160 hectares, harvested three times a week
B&C farms around 1,000 hectares of cassava and 160 of chayote. The relatively modest chayote acreage is deceptive: while cassava is harvested once a year, chayote is picked three times a week, every week, all year round. That continuous cycle means 160 hectares generates a volume comparable to a much larger cassava operation.
© B&C ExportadoresThe company has three packing centers—one for chayote, one for cassava, and one for frozen products—employing around 400 people between them. A further 600 workers are based on the farms. "And many of them I know personally," says Alberto.
Women in the field: Far more than packing
Women make up around 35% of the total workforce, a figure Alberto is proud of and has worked hard to achieve. Packing centres naturally lend themselves to female employment, as they demand precision and care rather than physical strength. On the farms, B&C has gone a step further by introducing lighter-duty tasks — such as removing leaves and harvesting without heavy lifting — so that women have a genuine place in fieldwork too.
Thirty containers a week
On the fresh side, B&C ships around 30 containers a week—cassava and chayote combined—to the United States, Canada, and Europe, which accounts for around 40% of fresh volume. The company began exporting to the US in 1988 and made the move into Europe around 2000, starting with the Netherlands, then the UK, and Spain. The frozen division adds another 15 containers a week on top of that.
© B&C Exportadores
Chayote exports to Europe amount to around four containers a week: two to Portugal—which, despite being a producer itself, buys regularly—and two split between Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. "The UK is a major chayote market," Alberto notes, driven largely by Jamaican and Caribbean communities. The company sells under its own brand, Tucan, though most of the volume leaves under customers' own-label brands.
Quality first, certificates second
Quality is, in Alberto's words, the whole point of the business. "We want to sell quality. We want to be known for quality." Breaking into the European market meant stepping up to certification, and B&C has done so without hesitation. The company now holds GRASP, SMETA, and LEAF Marque certifications, as well as approval under Tesco's own GRASP programme. The logic is straightforward: when a customer says they need a particular certification to get into supermarkets, Alberto listens and acts. "If you want to sell in the major supermarkets, you need the right certification."
© B&C Exportadores
© B&C Exportadores
On chemical use, B&C believes its footprint is smaller than that of comparable crops. One concrete example: bee hotels have been installed every 200 metres throughout the chayote plantation, encouraging natural pollination and reducing the need for chemical intervention.
Safety and conscience: 'So I can sleep at night'
Striking is the importance Alberto places on internal security—not because customers demand it, but out of personal conviction. "It's for me. So I can sleep at night," he admits. B&C runs preventive control programmes to keep illegal activities out of its operations. The company carries out regular drug tests, installs CCTV cameras, conducts home visits to employees, and enforces strict rules around drug trafficking. "If you're an addict, you have contacts with drug dealers. And before long, you might get dragged into it. Keeping staff well away from all of that protects both the people and the business," Alberto reasons.
© B&C Exportadores
The same principle applies to wages and social security contributions. Alberto is unequivocal: the legacy of 'Don Cuyo'—as his father was known—paying what is owed and following the law are non-negotiable. He doesn't see it as an obligation, but as a moral inheritance. "Our father left us the rules. You must pay correctly; you must pay what the law requires," Alberto concludes.
For more information:
Alberto Bonilla
B&C Exportadores
1km East of the Ruins of Ujarras
Paraiso (Cartago) – Costa Rica
Tel.: +506 2574-5151
[email protected]
www.bycexportadores.com
