Phytosanitary protocols will soon be signed to allow products to enter China, but aspects such as the production area still need to be improved.
The trade agreement between Ecuador and China entered its tenth month of validity and the Andean country continues to prepare to increase the presence of its traditional exportable offer, such as bananas, shrimp and other products that already reach that market; but it is also advancing in the process of opening it for the first time to non-traditional products, such as avocado, blueberries, quinoa, pineapple and dairy products, a sector that is closer to sealing its entry.
Ecuador is days away from signing the phytosanitary protocol that will allow the dairy industry to supply the Asian giant.
According to the director of the Phytosanitary and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency (Agrocalidad), Patricio Almeida, “we are already in the final stage of negotiating access for dairy products, and that will motivate the private sector to continue producing and improving its conditions in terms of innovation, investment and technology so that current production yields improve, but also the growth of production areas, and that translates into more jobs.”
He estimates that in the case of avocados, the growth of production areas to meet market demand represents a demand for between three and four more people per new hectare per year; and in the case of pitahaya, which is already entering China, the demand for personnel rises to between seven and eight workers per additional hectare.
Regarding dairy products, Almeida says that "the task must be done privately," improving conditions, especially production and quality, demanded by this market of approximately 1.4 billion consumers.
For blueberries, pineapples, among others, the head of Agrocalidad recognizes that they must insist on negotiations, although he also considers that having a trade agreement with China facilitates and speeds up having that relationship and being able to "tear down" these phytosanitary barriers.
“Times are not easy, they are not short in terms of health, but these agreements can facilitate them in a faster manner,” he says.
The Vice Minister of Agricultural Development, Marco Oviedo, indicates that opportunities to enter a market can arise from trade agreements, as in the case of China, but he also points out that it depends a lot on the interest of the consumers in that market at the time.
For this reason, he says that although China's interest may be focused on certain products, such as blueberries, avocados or meat, Ecuador has tried to place its entire portfolio in the retina of that market and expand the range of products that can enter.
The Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries (e), Carlos Zaldumbide, adds blueberries as another product that would be about to sign the phytosanitary protocol: to reach these protocols there must be an interest on both sides, and after a certification process, reach these phytosanitary, technical and origin agreements.
“If there is interest, they come to visit (our factories) or we will visit (their) factories. Once these visits are made, and the factories are certified, the opening is made through this protocol for a particular product so that it can enter that market. In the case of blueberries and dairy products, we are very close to signing these protocols, which will give us the opportunity.”
And it reveals that, in the case of dairy products, there is the possibility of sending products with added value, not only milk, but also other products such as dulce de leche, cheeses or cream cheeses.
BLUEBERRY PRODUCERS PLANT NEW VARIETIES DEMANDED BY THEIR MARKETS
According to Sebastián Muñoz, general coordinator of the Ecuadorian Federation of Blueberry Producers and Exporters (Fepexa), the Chinese market is demanding in terms of fruit quality and size, so, like neighboring countries, Ecuador is joining the varietal replacement; that is, it is planting and cultivating blueberry varieties that international markets demand.
Muñoz points out that, with the increase in new hectares from its partners and other blueberry producers, it is expected that in the short and medium term there will be enough volume for the Chinese market.
Currently, in Ecuador, annual blueberry production is 4,500 tons.
He adds that the logistics issue also requires attention, although they already have experience in exporting to the Asian market, specifically to Singapore and Hong Kong.
These are two of the more than 30 countries to which Ecuador is currently open to export blueberries.
The list includes the United States, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Malaysia, Canada, Panama, among others. The local industry is also interested in markets such as the Middle East, Central America and Asia-Pacific.
In 2022, 220 metric tons of blueberries were exported, 112 in 2023 and 758 in 2024.
Although he did not specify a date to begin exporting the fruit to China, Muñoz indicates that once they begin, they will focus on consolidating and positioning the Ecuadorian blueberry as a premium fruit.
“Our fruit has organoleptic characteristics that differentiate it from that of other producing countries due to the climatic conditions where it is grown, equatorial zone, high altitude blueberries, higher brix degrees,” he highlights.
Fepexa represents 25 producers from the provinces of Carchi, Imbabura, Pichincha, Tungurahua and Santa Elena.
AVOCADO, A NEW PRODUCT THAT WILL GROW GRADUALLY
In the case of avocados, Santiago Pinto, president of Interanza, a company that exports the fruit to different markets, such as Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Colombia and now Argentina, recognizes that entering China is a long process, more so due to the requirements of the public process in that country.
“For our part, we are ready to qualify.”
According to Pinto, since it is a new product, demand is not yet high and, once it enters China, growth will be gradual, although he points out that the most important markets for the industry are Europe and the United States.
Ecuador produces around 3.5 million kilograms of avocados per year, which are concentrated in the provinces of Imbabura, Carchi, Pichincha and Tungurahua.
With all these advances, Minister Zaldumbide assures that the results with China are a process that will take time.
“So, we can start thinking that we are in the first stage of starting an important trade agreement with China, but we have to continue taking advantage of it, we have to continue complementing it with this type of openings.”
