Ecuador agriculture can offer a better lifestyle and opportunity as good prices rise. Sometimes we forget the importance of life’s basics…such as food. Until those basics cost more.

Ecuador agriculture is important because Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal included an article that began: “Prices of farm goods are climbing – in part because of demand for crop-based fuels – pushing up food prices around the world and creating a new source of inflationary pressure. The rise in food prices is already causing distress among consumers in some parts of the world — especially relatively poor nations like India and China. If the trend gathers momentum, it could contribute to slower global growth by forcing consumers to spend less on other items or spurring central banks to fight inflation by raising interest rates.”

This is one of the wonderful benefits of Ecuador agriculture, the extreme supply of excellent but low cost food.

Ecuador is a Garden of Eden and here is a fact you probably did not know. The inhabitants of this region developed more than half the agricultural products that the world eats today. Among these are more than many varieties of corn and potato. There foods also include squash, beans, peppers, peanuts, popcorn, yucca and quinoa.

They even learned to use freezing night temperatures and warm days to freeze dry potatoes and create potato flour.

Here is the market, three blocks from our hotel where we shop. Open air restaurants in the front of the market offer excellent meals, vegetarian, or chicken, steak, fish or pork for about $1.

Ecuador Agriculture Photo # 1

There are enumerable fresh picked vegetables.

Ecuador Agriculture Photo # 2

Offered by happy friendly people.

Ecuador Agriculture Photo # 3

And every type of fruit you can imagine, from pineapple to coconut, papaya, mango, apples, pears, bananas, berries and numerous other tropical fruits all at bargains prices by Western standards and ripe all year round.

Ecuador Agriculture Photo # 4

Many exotic spices at a 1/20th the cost in the US or Canada. I bought a huge bag of Star Anise (bottom right) probably a pound yesterday for $1.

Ecuador Agriculture Photo # 5

This makes life especially wonderful and inexpensive.

This creates opportunity as well.

Ecuador’s geographical location gives it a distinct advantage in agro production. Its exports include asparagus, bananas, broccoli, cocoa, coffee, flowers, hearts of palm, lentils, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple, plantain, mango, red beans, and tomatoes. Ecuador has mainly an agricultural economy, though oil is its largest source of revenue, and industry has expanded. Agriculture employs 32 percent of the workforce. 6.4 million acres is used in agriculture . Permanent pasture covers 17 percent of the total area and forests nearly 43 percent. In the highlands subsistence agriculture and the production of staples for the urban areas are predominant (corn, wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, and various vegetables). In the coastal lowlands tropical crops are grown to export. Ecuador is the largest exporter of bananas in the world and among the largest exporters of shrimp and roses.

There is extra Ecuador agricultural opportunity now due to the falling US dollar. We looked at this somewhat yesterday at Emerging Currencies Protect Wealth - Power of the Dollar Revaluation

We will update our latest multi-currency portfolios and look at how to spot strong emerging currencies May 25 - 27, 2007 at the International Business and Investing Course in North Carolina. Thomas Fischer joins me to update global economics there. International Investments and International Business Course, West Jefferson, North Carolina, May 25-26-27, 2007

We will see more on emerging currencies tomorrow.

Until then, good investing!

Gary

There are low Ecuador fares again: Low fares go and come…some within hours. Today Delta announced a $422 fare Atlanta - Quito – Atlanta. Some of these great bargains last a very short while.

One way to check for low cost Atlanta fares is at www.clarkhoward.com. He is a radio show host in Atlanta. His web site shows travel bargains from Atlanta and often features the Atlanta-Quito flights.

Take advantage of these low fares! Join Steve Marchant, our man in Ecuador, April 20 - 25, Friday to Wednesday for the Ecuador Exports Course where you can also see these condos. See Ecuador Exports Tour

June 6 – 10, 2007 Weds. - Sun. for our Condensed Super Thinking + Spanish in Ecuador. Ecuador Spanish Course through Super Thinking + Super Memory

June 13 –15, 2007 Weds. - Fri. Andes Extension & Real Estate Tour in Ecuador. Ecuador Real Estate

June 19 - 21, 2007 Tues. Thurs. Shamanic Mingo. See Ecuador Shaman Mingo Tour

Attend all three courses and tours. Save up to $398! See Ecuador Tours - June 2007