Browse Data and Analysis

Ecuador's sugar production in marketing year (MY) 2025/26 is forecast to reach 513,000 metric tons (MT), a decrease from MY 2023/24 estimate. Domestic consumption is forecast to remain stable with gradual increases expected in the coming years.

Wheat production in marketing year (MY) 2025/26 (July-June) is projected at just over 10,000 metric tons (MT), a decline from the previous year. With only about 5,000 hectares (HA) dedicated to cultivation, Ecuador’s wheat production is insufficient to meet domestic demand and thus dependent on imports.

The food processing industry is an important component of Ecuador’s manufacturing sector. This sector contributes 56 percent to Ecuador’s manufacturing gross domestic product and grossed $14 billion in net sales. Excellent sales prospects exist for U.S. food ingredient products to supply this industry.

Total Saudi wheat imports for 2025/26 are forecast to decline 10 percent to 3.2 million metric tons (MMT), due to projected high local production. Saudi barley imports for MY 2025/26 are projected to increase by 10 percent to 3.3 MMT compared to last MY.

The HRI sector is witnessing remarkable growth, fueled by urbanization, a surging population, rising disposable incomes, shifting social and cultural trends, and a thriving tourism industry. The Saudi food retail market, currently valued at $30 billion, is projected to grow by another $15 billion by 2030.

The ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia bodes well for the retail food sector. In 2023, the Saudi food retail market was estimated at more than $51 billion and projected to increase by more than 5 percent annually in the coming years due to the continued urbanization, growing population, changing shopping habits, expansion of physical store locations , and increasing popularity of online platforms.

Singapore’s hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) sector is vibrant, dynamic and highly competitive with sales totaling $9.4 billion USD in 2023. Consumption patterns are mainly driven by convenience, technology, and changing demographics, health and international food trends with a focus on sustainability and influences by social media (Facebook and Instagram).

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) regulations allow the importation of biotech plant products, but they are required to be labeled if they contain more than one percent genetically engineered (GE) plant ingredients. As a result, many retail packaged food importers do not import biotech foods due to concerns that biotech labeling could jeopardize their image.

Singapore does not have any domestic commercial production of plant biotechnology. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) website lists 108 genetically engineered (GE) crops approved for use as food for direct consumption, ingredients, and further processing into ingredients for other food in the country.

The legal and regulatory situation to allow the planting of genetically engineered (GE) crops in Ecuador remains the same as 2023. Commercial cultivation of GE crops is not permitted, however cultivation for research is allowed and an exception exists for GE products without recombinant or foreign DNA in the genome.

Total Saudi wheat imports for 2024/25 are forecast to reach 4.25 MMT, an increase of 2 percent over marketing year (MY) 2023/24.

The retail food sector is highly competitive in Singapore with no single country holding over 16 percent of the consumer-oriented products market share. Singapore’s economy is beginning to slow due to cost-of-living, inflation, and supply chain challenges.