This summer has surprised us all. What should have been just another season in our agricultural calendar has become an atypical chapter, full of challenges, but also opportunities. The weather conditions—a combination of severe drought and excessive rainfall—have disrupted traditional production cycles, shifting a significant portion of our harvest from February, March, and April to June, July, and August.

This delay has led to an unusual phenomenon: fruit available outside of the initial plan. While this situation creates logistical challenges, it has also opened an unexpected market opportunity. Peru, also facing difficulties, has freed up space in strategic markets such as North America, Europe, and even Russia. And we, from Ecuador, have been there, ready to respond with quality and volume.

Our export campaign, which normally ends in earlier months, is now extending until the end of July and even into August. However, let's be clear: this opportunity is exceptional, almost unrepeatable. The cycles will correct themselves and production will return to normal in the first months of the year. But for now, we're making the most of every day of this extended season.

The local market, for its part, has also been well supplied, which is a positive consequence of this new scenario. In terms of prices, particularly for the Hass variety , they have remained stable at this time of year, which is a sign of a healthy market.

But there's more. Amidst all this, we continue to move forward with one of the most anticipated processes: the export protocol to the United States. Although the initial technical visits didn't materialize—not in February, nor in May or June—we recently received confirmation that the inspection will take place between the last week of July and the first week of August. This is crucial. If everything goes well, we could have the first shipments to the US market by the last quarter of the year, coinciding with the start of our next season.

As for the upcoming season, the news is also encouraging. Flowering has been good, and although summer has started cloudier and rainier than usual, this suggests that the drought will be later and less intense. If this trend continues, we could see a 30 to 40% increase in our total production, a clear sign that the sector continues to grow, adapt, and strengthen.

This summer has been atypical, yes, but also revealing. It has forced us to rethink our strategies, to move with agility, and to identify opportunities where we didn't see them before. It has reminded us, once again, that in agriculture, as in life, adapting is not an option: it's a necessity.

Santiago Pinto, Director, Iteranza, spinto@interanza.com , Ecuador