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Country profile - Ecuador

ecuador

Ecuador is one of the smaller countries in South America. Located on the west coast and straddling the equator, Ecuador has a total area of about 280,000 square kilometres, which includes the Galápagos Islands. The country encompasses a wide range of natural formations and climates, from the desertlike southern coast to the snowcapped peaks of the Andes Mountains to the plains of the Amazon River Basin.

The variety of temperature and rainfall patterns has resulted in a diversity of tropical and temperate crops. Moderated or cool temperatures in highland areas allows the cultivation of products usually associated with more northern latitudes. In the Costa (coastal regions) a warm climate, fertile soils and proximity to ports has led to large-scale production of such export crops as coffee, bananas, sugar, cacao, palm oil and rice.

Bananas

Ecuador began marketing bananas abroad after World War II. By 1947 bananas had become the country's leading export crop. Today Ecuador has approximately 125,000 hectares of land under banana cultivation and production is year round. The main export varieties currently shipped are Cavendish, Baby Banana and Red. Importers include the United States of America, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and more controversially the European Union. Banana producers in Latin America have always objected to the ruling which allows small scale Caribbean producers of bananas preferential access to the European market - preferential access which is now being called into question. This may be good news for the large scale producers in Ecuador, but could spell disaster for the Caribbean farmers.

Shrimp

Ecuador is the largest producer of shrimp grown through aquaculture in the Western Hemisphere and ranks second in the world. The white fleshed shrimp named penaeus vannamei (a member of the penaeidae family) is the principal species being cultivated. There is a total of approximately 140,000 hectares of shrimp ponds in production. Other important fish include sardines, anchovies and mackerel. Most of the anchovies and sardines are canned for the export market, with the remainder ground into fishmeal for poultry feed.

Coffee

Coffee, introduced into the country early in the nineteenth century. Ecuador produces both arabica and robusta varieties with over half of the plantings in the hilly areas of Manabi Province. An estimated total of 350,000 hectares of land is dedicated to the cultivation of coffee with a resulting total production of 2.8 million sacks per year. Coffee is exported all year round to over 50 countries in the form of raw bean, toasted and processed.

Cocoa

There are over 339,000 hectares of land under cocoa cultivation. Cocoa beans are exported in bulk and as liquor, paste and powder. The principal buyers are the United States, The Netherlands, Germany, Japan, France, Italy, Belgium, Argentina, Chile and Spain.

Vegetable production

Important vegetable crops include garlic, onions, cabbage, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and various types of peppers. Other popular vegetables that are exported include broccoli, hearts of palm, asparagus and pigeon pea. Exports of canned vegetables, beans and lentils have increased rapidly in recent years.

Fruit

Pineapples and bananas
Pineapples and bananas

Ecuador's fruit growers produce pears, peaches, apples, grapes and plums in the Sierra and citrus fruit avocados, mangoes and a wide variety of tropical fruits in the Costa. Melons, pineapple, passion fruit, strawberries and mango are the most prominent fruits grown for the export market.

Flowers

The eternal spring climate in the Ecuadorian highlands means many varieties of flowers may be grown and this has encouraged an increasing interest from both national and foreign investors who are keen to pursue floriculture projects. At present the principal export varieties are Roses, Ghypsophylas, Carnations, Statices, Chrysanthemums and Astromelias.

Livestock and Poultry

The Costa and Oriente (eastern Amazon basin) produce mainly beef cattle, while dairy cattle are mostly found in the Sierra. Cattle are grazed on coastal land otherwise unsuited for agriculture, such as the hilly terrain in Manabi Province, seasonally flooded river plains or semiarid parts of the far south. Dairy production is typically carried on in fertile valleys particularly between Riobamba and the Colombian border.

Besides cattle, other livestock include pigs, sheep and a small number of goats. Poultry is another rapid growth area. Historically peasant families raised chickens both for meat and eggs, but the 1980's saw the establishment of large-scale poultry enterprises near larger cities.

Date published: September 1998

 

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