Flowers The eternal spring climate in the Ecuadorian highlands means many varieties of flowers may be grown and this has encouraged an increasing interest from both national and foreign investors who are keen to pursue floriculture projects. At present the principal export varieties are Roses, Ghypsophylas, Carnations, Statices, Chrysanthemums and Astromelias. Cattle are grazed on coastal land otherwise unsuited for agriculture, such as the hilly terrain in Manabi Province, seasonally flooded river plains or semiarid parts of the far south. Dairy production is typically carried on in fertile valleys particularly between Riobamba and the Colombian border. Besides cattle, other livestock include pigs, sheep and a small number of goats.
Poultry is another rapid growth area.
Historically peasant families raised chickens both for meat and eggs, but the 1980's saw the establishment of large-scale poultry enterprises near larger cities.