1 June 2022 - Maasland
Ecuador: the country is located in the middle of the world, on the equator. The country is therefore named after the equator, which means 'Ecuador' in Spanish. It is one of the smallest countries in South America and also the country where part of our pineapples grow! Reasons enough to meet our pineapple supplier from Ecuador, David Santamaria from Frugalp. He tells more about his company and the pineapple.
501 employees harvest 1,000,000 kilos of pineapple per week
Frugalp has been producing the most famous exotic fruit since 1993: the pineapple. They do this on 1,100 hectares of agricultural land, with 501 employees. Every morning the colleagues come from the nearby city of Santo Domingo to the countryside to harvest 1,000,000 kilos of pineapple per week!
From pineapple seed to the container; everything is in their own hands
David says that his company has the entire process in its own hands. First of all, all pineapples are grown in-house, and nothing is purchased from other suppliers. In addition, they take care of the new pineapple seed themselves and let the plants grow. The pineapple is then grown with these plants, and the plants will produce seeds for the next season. In this way, the company has the entire production cycle in its own hands: from seed to plant and from plant to pineapple!
Pineapple, yucca, and soursop fit perfectly in the Ecuadorian climate
Because Ecuador is located on the equator, there are no seasons, but the temperature gauge indicates 20-25 degrees Celsius year-round. In addition, it rains a lot, which ensures a humidity percentage of up to 80%. A very tropical climate, says David. This climate allows him to grow pineapples all year round. Besides pineapple, Frugalp cultivates two other products: yucca and soursop. Yucca is better known in Europe as cassava. Soursop is a green fruit, which looks like small jackfruit. The taste is sweet, the flesh soft and used for juices. Frugalp only exports pineapples of these three products, for the time being.
Quality assured, all yearround
Because there are no seasons in the South American country, David van Frugalp can guarantee the same quality year-round and has production under control, as he tells Kraaijeveld. Frugalp only uses pineapples from young plants for export, which results in fewer quality problems. Next to the quality of our products, Frugalp is aware of the importance of certifications to guarantee the quality of their process. David explains: ‘We are now Rainforest, Global GAP, SMETA and BASC certified. Rainforest is about eco-friendly production; Global GAP ensures top production process; SMETA guarantees employees rights and BASC takes care about all levels of security. All of these certifications we can resume in one word: SUSTAINABILITY; that's our corporate responsibility goal.’
Why Frugalp chooses Kraaijeveld
Frugalp pineapples are exclusively available in Europe at Kraaijeveld. David says that he strives for a long-term relationship with Kraaijeveld and indicates that the communication is good. He has the intention to continue to grow together, both in the business and with the pineapple!