Why this is important to Wisconsin businesses: As the volume of Ecuador’s fruit exports grows, Wisconsin machinery and agricultural equipment companies may want to consider exploring market possibilities.
Ecuador says a system developed to keep the lid on fruit flies has helped produce a successful mango growing season.
Agrocalidad, Ecuador’s agency in charge of animal and plant health, said 15.3 million boxes of mangoes were exported in 2021. More than half a dozen varieties of mangoes are grown in Ecuador.
The U.S. is the primary destination for the fruit, followed by Colombia.
To achieve a fruitful harvest, Agrocalidad and the Mango Foundation of Ecuador have developed a surveillance system for monitoring fruit flies, a requirement in order to export mangoes to the main international markets. Phytosanitary organizations from the U.S., Mexico and Chile have observed the system during visits to some of Ecuador’s 95 registered mango growing sites.
Agrocalidad has trained a team of technicians to inspect the fruit packing plants and certify the process, which involves receiving the mangoes, putting them through a hydrothermal treatment, certifying them and packaging them. The objective is to establish areas free of flies, or with a low prevalence of fruit flies, so the fruit grown in Ecuador will be allowed to enter other countries.
With the growing volume of Ecuador’s mango exports to the U.S. and with the importance of agriculture in Wisconsin, there may be opportunities for Wisconsin companies to market their products or services to mango growers in Ecuador.
