Earlier this month, representatives from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature had the pleasure to visit Ecuador for the first official phytosanitary mission. Joined by colleagues from LVVN and NVWA this offered a valuable opportunity to deepen relationships with the country's agricultural and floriculture sectors. The programme provided clear insight into how committed and professional our Ecuadorian partners are — and how much potential there is for closer cooperation with the Netherlands. There were conversations with authorities, exchange with the business sector, and experienced the bustle of the trade with the Netherlands first-hand.
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Productive exchanges with Expo Flores
The mission began with a meeting at Expo Flores, the Floriculture Association of Ecuador. Their insights into sector developments, challenges, and opportunities set a constructive tone for the visit and highlighted their important role in supporting growers and maintaining high standards across the industry. Plant variety protection and the lesser options for use of chemicals in flowers were some of their main concers. Collaboration was discussed, as the Netherlands remains a very important parnter in the floriculture, providing the varieties for the rose giant Ecuador is in the world market – third worldwide flower exporter after the Netherlands and neighbour Colombia.
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Visits to Plantec and Logiztik Alliance
Plantec demonstrated firsthand how their collaboration with Dutch breeders — particularly in roses — contributes to quality, innovation, and a strong international market position. The visit underscored how day-to-day cooperation between companies continues to reinforce the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
At Logiztik Alliance, it was observed how Ecuador's export products — including The visitors also observed a phytosanitary inspection conducted by Agrocalidad, the national authority. This provided good insights into the strict procedures and controls that contribute to Ecuador's reputation for reliable and high-quality exports.
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Dialogue with the Ministry of Agriculture
A working lunch with the colleagues of the International Affairs Department of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Agriculture, including its director, offered a closer look at Ecuador's strategic vision for its agricultural sector. They discussed priorities in sustainability, market competitiveness, and international collaboration, as well as areas where Dutch expertise can complement Ecuador's ambitions.
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Meeting with Agrocalidad
Last but not least was a productive meeting with Agrocalidad's National Phytosanitary Service, Agrocalidad. The discussions covered several running dossiers, ongoing collaboration and exchange, and opportunities to strengthen bilateral alignment on plant health, inspection procedures, and future technical collaboration.
Source: Agroberichten Buitenland
