Ecuador exported 101.3 million boxes of bananas in the first three months of 2025, marking a 1.83% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from the Statistics Coordination Office of the Banana Marketing and Export Association (ACORBANEC).

Europe was the top destination, accounting for 31.69% of exports, followed by Russia with 20.63%.

Given that the world's largest country is one of the most important destinations for Ecuadorian bananas, Freshfruitportal.com spoke with Richard Salazar, Executive Director of ACORBANEC, to learn about the Russian authorities' visits to Ecuador.

Russian and Ecuadorian leaders meet

The visit included officials from Ecuador’s agro-export sector and a delegation from Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor).

“Ecuador has been exporting bananas to Russia for over 20 years,” said Salazar, adding that the two countries follow a specific protocol regarding phytosanitary standards and good agricultural practices. “That’s why the Russian authorities wanted to come to our country—to verify there's compliance.”

He explained that the delegation visited farms and ports, “where they observed the entire production process, packaging, and even logistics handling.”

During the visit, Russian officials toured eight banana farms and met with Ecuadorian phytosanitary authorities to review the software used for fruit export and confirm details of the compliance protocols.

Russia and Ecuador

Salazar emphasized the importance of maintaining existing markets. “Current markets must be maintained—and maintained well,” he said, noting the strategic significance of the Russian delegation’s visit.

Despite the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, “it remains one of the most important destination markets for our exports; and of 100% of what Russia imports, 97% comes from Ecuador,” he said.

“We are demonstrating that we are doing things the right way and meeting international standards,” Salazar concluded.

Factors Affecting Banana Exports Between January and March 2025

Although the bagging of banana bunches (from week 41 of 2024 to week 1 of 2025) and the harvest (from week 1 to week 13 of 2025) were lower than in 2024, the physiological development of plantations remained normal.

One standout trend was the strong growth in exports to South Korea, which rose by 22.39% compared to the same period in 2024. The increase was largely due to the South Korean Ministry of Finance’s decision to temporarily reduce tariffs on 28 fruits and vegetables - including bananas - to 0% during the first half of 2025.

Other notable export gains were seen in Argentina (+44.27%), China (+26.30%), Russia (+9.20%), Poland (+40.25%), and Slovenia (+9.15%).

In contrast, banana exports to Algeria dropped sharply by 91.10% between January and March 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The decline followed Ecuador’s decision - along with other countries - to suspend recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and instead support Morocco’s autonomy plan.