Shipments rose 9.1 per cent in volume and 32 per cent in value last year
Ecuador exported 64,000 tonnes of pitahaya worth US$273mn in 2025, representing a 9.1 per cent increase in volume and 32 per cent increase in value compared to the previous year.
The figures, from the Ecuadorean Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor), show that the US was the biggest market, taking US$194.9mn, or 71.4 per cent of total exports. It was followed by the European Union with US$47.4mn and Canada with US$11.6mn. Other markets included Hong Kong, UAE and Argentina.
Government data shows that national production increased from 8,621 tones in 2020 to 89,630 tonnes in 2024. In that same period, acreage tripled from 2,324ha to 7,853ha. Red pitahaya made up 52,351 tonnes of total production in that year, while the yellow variety accounted for 37,278 tonnes.
Xavier Rosero, executive president of Fedexpor, told Forbes: “Pitahaya represents a concrete opportunity to continue diversifying Ecuador’s export basket with a non-traditional product with high potential, which has already demonstrated the ability to meet consumer preferences and the quality standards demanded in markets such as Asia and the US.”
To consolidate this export growth, he said the next step is to standardise production standards, strengthen controls, and provide technical support to growers so that the fruit maintains consistent quality across all shipments.
In terms of productivity, Ecuador still lags behind some of the leading producers such as Vietnam and China, typically achieving yields of 15.1 tonnes per hectare for red pitahaya, compared to China’s 36.8 tonnes and Vietnam’s 27.5 tonnes. Yields for yellow pitahaya currently average around 12.3 tonnes in Ecuador.
