Ecuador Poultry Exports Top 4,300 Tons Since 2023 as Industry Targets China
Ecuador's poultry industry is trying to convert a small export base into a broader market-access strategy, with China and Central America identified as priority targets.
El Universo, citing Diana Espin, executive director of the Corporacion Nacional de Avicultores del Ecuador (Conave), reported that Ecuador has exported more than 4,300 metric tons of chicken since exports began in 2023.
Export Base
| Metric | Source figure |
|---|---|
| 2023 chicken exports | 792.81 tons |
| 2024 chicken exports | 1,497.38 tons |
| 2025 chicken exports | 1,568.81 tons |
| Reported exports in current partial year | More than 441 tons |
| Export revenue through 2025 | Almost USD 11 million |
El Universo reported that the current principal market is the Bahamas, following a first shipment of 28 tons in May 2023. The sector has also sent technical information to Chinese authorities as part of the market-opening process, though the source does not state a timeline for approval.
Domestic Scale
The domestic industry remains much larger than the export channel. Annual chicken production is around 564,497 tons, generating about USD 809 million, while per-capita chicken consumption is 31 kilograms.
Business Implication
The near-term signal is market diversification, not a large export step-change. China access would be the material catalyst, but the current data show an industry still proving sanitary compliance, logistics, and repeatability in smaller destination markets.
What to watch
- Any formal sanitary approval from China.
- Follow-on shipments to the Bahamas and Central America.
- Whether egg access to the United Arab Emirates becomes a broader poultry precedent.
Source: El Universo
Source
El Universo — “Carne de pollo sigue creciendo en consumo y exportación: industria busca entrar a China y expandirse en Centroamérica”
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