South Koreans will begin to consume banana flour from Ecuador

First export from a company that is under a cooperation program

In the coming weeks, South Koreans will try the banana flour that is produced in a factory in Quito. A first shipment of this product left this week from the Incremar facilities to be exported.

That company made its first sale through a distributor who will be in charge of placing the product in different channels. This delivery marks its foray into the export of banana flour.

A South Korean delegation was in the capital this week to tour the plant and witness the shipment of half a container of banana flour.

Proecuador indicated that it is the first food company in the TASK program to export to this market. This binational cooperation program between Ecuador and South Korea provides advice and technological solutions, in order to internationalize the agro-industrial offer of a group of local companies.

Santiago Martínez, manager of Incremar, said that once they have opened exports of banana flour in the South Korean market, they expect that not only will orders increase for this product, but for the rest of their portfolio based on the concept of super foods made with value added products.

Incremar, which employs 80 people directly, works with lines of cola drinks, instant drinks, soups, energy bars and flours. Quinoa, chocho, banana, are the raw materials with which he works.

“From what we have talked about with South Korean specialists, once you enter that market it may be easier to enter with other products,” Martínez said.

In Ecuador, banana flour is sold under their own brands, but the export was carried out under the brand of the South Korean client.

Martínez stated that banana flour is a product that is gaining importance globally due to its different uses and as a replacement for traditional flour.

Incremar works with banana producers in the El Carmen area, in Manabí, to obtain quality raw material.

To prepare for the export of this product, Martínez said that they had to make some adjustments that required investments of around $50,000.

The Ecuadorian company has a 3,600 m2 production plant and 5 warehouses in its production area, which allow it to have an installed capacity to process 600 tons.

Another company that this month has had the opportunity to export for the first time to South Korea is Latiali. This firm sent cocoa produced on the Camino Verde farm. The negotiation took place thanks to the support of Proecuador and its commercial office in Seoul.