The Ecuadorian firm Custom Logistic exports a variety of agricultural products such as cassavas, green plantains, papayas, pineapples, bananas, malangas and Tahiti limes to various international markets, such as Europe, the US and the Middle East.
Cassava exported by Custom Logistic
Paúl Robles, Custom Logistic's General Manager, explains that cassavas are tubers generally better known and accepted in the US than in Europe. At the moment, Custom Logistic is exporting 10 to 15 weekly containers of them to the US and Puerto Rico, despite the fact that Puerto Rico also supplies it to the American market.
Regarding Tahiti limes, Robles assures that international demand for them is always good, especially in the Middle East, Europe, the US and Central America. Nowadays, Mexico is their main exporter, mainly due to its proximity to the North American market, which gives them an advantage over other producers when it comes to competing in the US and Canada.
Tahiti limes are not Ecuador's most popular product, but Paúl affirms that "in the next three years, Ecuador could be ready to begin a good Tahiti lime campaign." At the moment, Custom Logistic is exporting 5 to 7 containers weekly.
Green plantains are also exported by Custom Logistic to the US and Europe. 5 to 6 containers are shipped weekly to Europe and 10 to 12 containers to the US. Green plantains are sold in units and are mainly differentiated from bananas by their shorter shelf life, of just 25 to 30 days. In Europe, the main export market is Spain, where they are known and classified as something different to bananas. Due to the fact that green plantains are not as popular, the product has been subject to a large promotional campaign for the last six months which has caused demand to rise in the Netherlands and Belgium. Although green plantains are gaining recognition in the international market, Robles notes that production in Ecuador has reduced 40% in the last 3 years due to climatological problems, which is a worrying issue for both producers and exporters.
Custom Logistic green plantains ready for export
For more information:
Paúl Robles
General Manager
Custom Logistic
Tel.: 00593 90784943