Agriculture
Farming, food security, agroindustry
20 articlesRice Producers Warn El Niño Could Affect Up to 80,000 Hectares
Ecuador’s rice and cacao sectors are mapping production exposure ahead of a possible El Niño event. Rice producers cite 40,000-50,000 hectares affected in a regular winter and potential exposure of 70,000-80,000 hectares depending on event intensity, while cacao exporters are watching disease and post-harvest risk.
MAGP Offers 100% Debt Remission for Artisanal Fishing Port Leases
Ecuador’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries announced 100% remission of selected lease-related debts for artisanal fishers and popular-solidarity economy organizations. The benefit applies to users in Esmeraldas, Anconcito, Jaramijó, San Mateo, Santa Rosa, Cojimíes and Bajo Alto.
Ecuador Invests More Than USD 3M in Irrigation Across 525 Hectares
Ecuador has invested more than USD 3M in seven technified irrigation projects covering 525 hectares. The program directly benefits 517 agricultural producers and indirectly supports more than 2,000 people, with the government targeting productivity, climate resilience and financing access for small and medium producers.
MAGP Pushes Social-Security Affiliation for Artisanal Fishers
Ecuador's government is expanding social-security affiliation efforts for artisanal fishers, El Universo reports. Seguro Social Campesino records show 5,743 affiliated fishers in Manabi, Guayas and Santa Elena, with two 2026 campaigns in Manta and Jaramijo.
Ecuador Rice Prices Fall to Five-Year Low After Colombia Trade Rupture
Ecuador's rice sector is facing its worst price level in five years, Primicias reports. Corpnoarroz says the Colombia trade rupture blocked a market that absorbed about 100,000 tons of annual Ecuadorian surplus.
Agriculture Ministry Cites $4M El Nino Insurance Budget and Additional Rice-Reserve Capacity
Ecuador's Agriculture Ministry has a $4 million budget for agricultural-insurance premiums tied to potential El Nino impacts, El Universo reports. Minister Juan Carlos Vega also said the government is seeking storage and budget for 20,000 additional tons of rice, requiring about $8 million more.
CECA-13 Cacao Clone Reports 1.8-2.0 Tons/Ha Annual Yields in El Oro
El Universo reports that the CECA-13 cacao clone was launched May 20 in El Oro by researcher Erwin Cango. Reported yields in the development zone reached 1.8-2.0 tons per hectare per year, with evaluations in other areas indicating a possible 30-35 quintals per hectare depending on agronomic management.
Government Expands 7x7 Credit Program by $100M, Opens BanEcuador Lending to Artisanal Fishers for First Time
Ecuador allocated an additional $100 million to the Crédito Productivo 7x7 program through BanEcuador, extending eligibility to artisanal fishers for the first time. The first phase distributed $100M across 9,341 operations. An estimated 11,500 fishers with 7,500 vessels are now eligible.
MAGP Deploys $42.4M Agricultural Technification Program: Drone-Assisted Farming, Irrigation for 3,288 Hectares, 1,670 Apiary Kits Across 23 Provinces
Ecuador's Ministry of Agriculture (MAGP) is deploying a $42.4 million program targeting small and mid-scale producers across 23 provinces. The three-component initiative covers technified irrigation for 3,288 hectares, drone and mechanization subsidies at 75% government cost, and a 1,670-kit beekeeping expansion through 2027.
Ecuador's Rice Sector in Crisis: Colombia Ban Creates 80,000-Ton Surplus as Farm-Gate Prices Collapse 38%
Colombia's rice import ban on February 24, 2026 eliminated Ecuador's dominant export destination — 90% of the exportable surplus — creating an estimated 80,000-metric-ton domestic glut. Farm-gate prices collapsed 38% as piladoras slashed purchasing rates. The government's $8 million emergency purchase covers only a quarter of the surplus.
Ecuador Purchases $8M in Domestic Rice as Colombia Export Channel Closes
The Ecuadorian government is purchasing 20,000 metric tons of domestic rice for $8 million under Executive Decree 307, after Colombia's February import ban eliminated the destination for 90% of Ecuador's rice exports and created a 190,000-ton surplus.
Agriculture Ministry Activates M Rice Purchase Program Across 4 Collection Centers
The Ministry of Agriculture (MAGP) opened four rice collection centers on May 4 in Guayas and Los Ríos, backed by million in BanEcuador financing. The program purchases paddy rice directly from 7,000 registered producers at (short-grain) to (long-grain) per 205-pound sack.
Ecuador's Rice Crisis: Government Launches $8M Direct Purchase as Market Price Collapses to $18–21 per Saca
Ecuador's Agriculture Ministry is launching an $8 million direct rice purchase program on May 4 after market prices collapsed to $18–21 per saca — 42–50% below the government support price of $34–36. The Colombia trade war has closed a key export outlet, compounding domestic oversupply.
Fusarium TR4 Resistance: Queensland's QCAV-4 Transgenic Banana Enters Global Pipeline as Ecuador Studies Import Path
Queensland University of Technology's transgenic banana variety QCAV-4 has demonstrated resistance to Fusarium oxysporum Race 4 Tropical (TR4) — the pathogen threatening global Cavendish banana production. Ecuador, which is studying resistant alternatives (Formosana 218, Gal), faces regulatory barriers to transgenic imports.
Ecuador Banana Exports Rise 11.8% in Early 2026 Post-EU Tariff Elimination
Ecuador's banana exports rose 11.8% in the January-February 2026 period, reaching 71.49 million boxes as the elimination of the EU's 15% tariff in November 2025 boosted European demand. The EU absorbed 34.58% of exports, followed by Russia at 22.19% and the United States at 13.40%. Ecuador controls approximately 26-30% of global banana trade.
Banana Exports Surge 9.7% in January 2026 -- U.S. Tariff Removal and Reduced Central American Competition Drive Growth
Ecuador's banana exports reached 36.59 million 40-pound boxes in January 2026, a 9.7% year-over-year increase driven by expanded production, reduced Central American competition, and the removal of 15% U.S. tariffs under the March 2026 trade deal. Separately, shrimp exports closed 2025 at a record $7.47 billion, with China absorbing nearly half of total volume.
Shrimp Exports Surge 23% in January 2026 — Record Pace
Ecuador's shrimp exports surged 23% year-over-year in January 2026, extending the momentum from a record $7.47 billion in 2025 total exports. The industry projects an additional 15% growth in 2026, driven by expanding market share in China, the U.S.-Ecuador ART reducing tariff barriers, and continued global demand for farmed shrimp.
Ecuador Set to Become World's #2 Cocoa Producer — 623K+ MT Projected
Ecuador is projected to produce over 623,000 metric tons of cocoa in 2026, positioning the country to become the world's second-largest producer behind only Ivory Coast. Cocoa exports surpassed bananas in value for the first time in 2025, driven by record global cocoa prices exceeding $8,000/MT and Ecuador's expanding cultivation area.
Noboa Signs Decree 307: State Authorized to Buy, Store, and Sell Rice and Corn Directly as 20,000-Tonne Emergency Purchase Targets Farmer Crisis
President Noboa signed Executive Decree 307 on February 13, authorizing the Ministry of Agriculture to directly buy, sell, and store rice and corn to combat price speculation and hoarding. The decree triggers an immediate purchase of 20,000 metric tons of paddy rice from producers — described by Noboa as 'the largest purchase a government has made all at once' — as rice farmers face a deepening crisis: mills paying $20-25 per 220-pound sack against official minimums of $34-36, and 60,000 tonnes of export-grade rice stuck domestically after Colombia's 30% retaliatory tariff closed Ecuador's primary grain export market.
Ecuador Banana Sector Faces Margin Squeeze as AEBE Enters Wage Negotiations
Ecuador's banana industry, the world's largest by export volume, faces mounting pressure from labour cost increases as the Asociacion de Exportadores de Banano del Ecuador enters contentious wage negotiations amid a proposed 8% minimum hike for agricultural workers.