Even though the Brazilian market wasn't open to Ecuadorian bananas, Ecuador has had orders for more than 20,000 boxes of bananas per week from Brazil, for the last year.
The entrance of the Ecuadorian fruit to a country with nearly 200 million people will consolidate business, something that seemed impossible only two weeks ago, and that has sparked optimism in the sector, said Eduardo Ledesma, president of the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE).
Xavier Ordeñana Rodriguez, an expert in international business, explained that this would allow the Ecuadorian banana sector to diversify geographically and depend less on each country, thus mitigating risks.
However, according to Ordeñana, Brazil has two additional advantages: it is an emerging country that has significantly reduced poverty in recent years and it is the largest economy in South America. This makes it an attractive market in which Ecuadorian exporters can differentiate themselves through product quality, placing their product as a more exclusive fruit.
In fact, this was Ecuador's strategy to get into the Brazilian market for the past two years: premium bananas aimed at more affluent classes in Brazil.
For the last 17 years, Brazil, the second largest world producer of bananas, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, alleged phytosanitary problems to prevent the entry of the Ecuadorian fruit that, according to Ledesma, is superior in flavour and texture.
Ledesma said that they would start by exporting small amounts depending on the developments of the Brazilian market. "It would be a success if we could send 20,000 boxes per week," he said.
