Passion fruit production in Colombia
Let's learn a little bit more about these amazing fruits
Despite the continuous growing of this market, passion fruit production is still under the potential limits. That's why some initiatives like the Competitiveness Agreement of the Passion fruit Productive Chain signed in 2012 are important for this sector.
Let's learn a little bit more about the species with commercial impact that you may find in Colombia.
"Passion fruit" is the common name for the genus Passiflora.
Passiflora possess around 520 species from which 170 are available in Colombia (See figure at the right, taken from Cerqueira-Silva et al., 2018).
Among all this species, 6 species have a considerable commercial importance:
- Yellow passionfruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa)
- Purple passionfruit (Passiflora edulis f. edulis)
- Sweet passionfruit or sweet granadilla (Passiflora ligularis)
- Banana passionfruit or curuba (Passiflora tripartita)
- Giant granadilla (Passiflora quadrangularis)
- Wild purple passionfruit (Passiflora maliformis)
So, let's talk about them...
Yellow passionfruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa)
This fruit is produced in regions with temperatures between 24 - 28 °C and altitudes between 0 - 1300 mamsl.
Fruit is very popular due to the high ammount of soluble solids (°Brix) and content of juice.
This is the most important passion fruit in Colombia in terms of internal consumption and net production.
As you can see, 20 departments are producing yellow passionfruit and the most important competitors are Meta, Antioquia and Huila.
In 2018, net production was estimated in 169.155 ton. and these 3 departments were responsible for 72% of the production.
Purple passionfruit (Passiflora edulis f. edulis)
Is produced in regions with temperatures between 15 - 20 °C and altitudes between 1400 - 2000 mamsl.
Fruit is used primarily for direct consumption or juice and drink preparation.
This is the most important passion frut in Colombia for exportation purposes.
Purple passion fruit is smaller in production weight, representing 24.798 tons in 2018 but we have to considera that this fruit has little internal market and all the production is intended to exportation.
Tha biggest producer of this fruit is Antioquia, with more than 50% of the net production. Another important competitors are Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Santander, Tolima and Cauca.
Sweet passionfruit or sweet granadilla (Passiflora ligularis)
This species belong to altitudes between 1500 - 200 mamsl. and temperatures between 16 - 24 °C.
This fruit is usually used for direct consumption. Its pulp is sweet and with a delicate flavor.
There are current research with this fruit due to its medical properties and promissory uses in the cosmetical industry.
Sweet passion fruit holds the 2nd. position in terms of net production with 47.458 tons in 2018.
The production is mainly intended for internal consumption and exportation is distributed between small orchards around all the country.
Huila produces almost the half of the sweet passion fruits in Colombia and other important competitors are Nariño, Antioquia and Cundinamarca.
Banana passionfruit or curuba (Passiflora tripartita)
You may find this species in altitudes between 1800 - 2400 mamsl. and temperatures between 8 - 16 °C.
It's the passion fruit with highest amount of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).
Its used primarily in the preparation of juices with milk. Although there exists candies, wines and jellies with this fruit.
Curuba is the last passion fruit with commercial importance. Its net production for 2018 was 15.554 tons in 5 departments.
Because of its ideal climate conditions, Boyacá was the main producer.
Giant granadilla (Passiflora quadrangularis)
Still an underrated fruit, it grows in the wild although some plantations have been stablishing in the last years in regions with temperatures between 17 - 25 °C.(°Brix)
Is intended for direct consumption, although some people may prepare jellies, sauces, cakes and other things.
Since 2007 only departments of Huila, Santander, Chocó and Nariño produced significant ammounts of his fruit. In 2018, the net production was 3218 ton.
Wild purple passionfruit (Passiflora maliformis)
Still a wild fruit, there's a grwing interest because of its lingering scent, strong and attractive tasnte and its high 23 - 25 °Brix that facilitates winemaking with interesting properties.
Since 2007 only departments of Huila, Quindío and Tolima have been producing this fruit commercially. On 2018 all the production was attributed to Huila with 1834 ton.
