Move follows discovery of unauthorised chemicals on a consignment destined for Peru
Peru’s plant health authority Senasa has temporarily halted imports of Ecuadorean pitahaya after finding unauthorised agrochemicals on a consignment destined for the Peruvian market.
On 1 July, the Ecuadorean Agency for Phytosanitary Regulation and Control (Agrocalidad) reported that the pitahaya market in Peru will be temporarily closed, citing “irregularities” that do not comply with international standards.
In response, it has ramped up phytosanitary measures and intensified monitoring and control of the fruit’s cultivation. Agrocalidad said it would begin negotiations at the highest level to reestablish trade flows between the two countries.
Ecuador has been exporting pitahaya to Peru since 2022. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Peru accounted for 2.35 per cent of Ecuador’s output in 2023. The main destination for Ecuadorean pitahaya is the US, but it is also in shipped to markets including Hong Kong, Spain, and Canada.
Ecuador produces two varieties of pitahaya: yellow and red. The former makes up 90 per cent of total output, with production centred in the Ecuadorean Amazon, principally in Palora, Morona Santiago province. It is also grown in Pichincha, Imbabura, Bolívar, Loja, Santo Domingo, Manabí, Los Ríos, Santa Elena, Guayas, and El Oro.
