The port city of Manta is fast becoming an agriculture and logistics hub for exports

Located on Ecuador’s Pacific coast, the port city of Manta is fast becoming an agriculture and logistics hub for exports, including 70% of the nation’s tuna products.

MANTA, A MID-SIZED PORT CITY on Ecuador’s Pacific coast, has long been a key trade hub, facilitating the export of the Andean nation’s raw materials and agricultural products. Though a major 2016 earthquake damaged key infrastructure in Manta, including its airport, the city is fast recovering and expanding its export capacity with the help of government loans and FDI. On the back of many notable projects, Manta is aiming to become one of the main agricultural and food production hubs in Ecuador. Currently, the city is home to the nation’s fishing and tuna canning industry, hosting international corporations such as Conservas Isabel and Van Camps, as well as local producers Marbelize, Tecopesca, and Fishcorp, among others. Andrés Cuka, the general manager of Marbelize, said the company is currently exporting 70% of its tuna products to Europe and 26% to South America, while the remaining 4% is sold in local markets. While sales have remained strong in recent years, dramatic fluctuations in the price of tuna have pushed the company to innovate, and, as a result, production continues to grow at a sustainable and profitable pace, boosting the Manta economy in the process. “Marbelize was able to achieve sales of almost USD80 million in 2019,” Cuka told TBY in an interview. “In 2018, we closed with 35,000 tons. In 2019, we closed with 40,500 tons. For 2020, the projection is for 45,000 tons.” Such growth has been facilitated by a USD30-million renovation project to modernize Manta’s multipurpose port, allowing the facility to handle larger ships. Some 70% of Ecuador’s thriving tuna industry is now exported through Manta, instead of Guayaquil. The news comes as the city began renovating its damaged airport in November 2018, with a USD20.7-million loan from the Export-Import Bank of China and USD4.5 million from the Ecuadorian government. Construction is projected to finish by May 15, 2020, and the expanded 5,000-sqm airport will further boost capacity for trade, as well as tourism in Manta. Funding from China’s Belt and Road Initiative is also directed at rebuilding or expanding transport infrastructure in the Manabi province, where Manta is located. New highways will connect 500,000 citizens along Ecuador’s northern coast and mountain ranges, opening new trade routes for export crops such palm oil, cacao, and palmetto. In addition, Manta port is set to accommodate the arrival of more international cruise ships. Meanwhile, planning is underway for a mega food-processing and agricultural facility that will be called Ciudad de la Alimentación, or Nourishment City. With its location still to be determined, Ciudad de la Alimentación will take advantage of 575 flattened hectares of fertile land to build a variety of greenhouses for fruits and vegetables, as well as aquaculture farms for shrimp and fish, with largescale photovoltaic solar panel installation. The USD1.25-billion project is spearheaded by Grupo Corporativo Visión, a consortium of private companies overseeing the construction with the support of six Spanish groups, including ACS, Indasa, Eurobanan, Greenyard, Coexphal, and Proyecta Ingenio. In the first phase of about four to six years, Ciudad de la Alimentación is expected to create 21,000 jobs while further boosting regional production of agricultural products for export. The project aims to make Manta the “pantry” or “breadbasket” of Ecuador. At the same time, a 200-MW solar energy facility worth USD170 million will be connected to the national energy grid, expanding local energy production.