Agrocalidad Suspends Cuy and Rabbit Sales in Azuay Markets — Restaurants Exempted

What Happened

Agrocalidad — Ecuador's agricultural health authority — has issued a temporary sanitary restriction after reports of "muertes inusuales de conejos" (unusual rabbit deaths) in Tungurahua. Two possible diseases are on the investigation list: mutant colibacillosis and salmonellosis.

Until lab results come back, Agrocalidad "suspende el ingreso y comercialización de cuyes y conejos en ferias, mercados y eventos públicos" — suspends the entry and commercialization of guinea pigs and rabbits in fairs, markets, and public events.

Where in Azuay

The affected production areas named in El Mercurio's reporting:

• Nabón canton
• Tarqui parish
• El Manzano sector

These are some of Azuay's traditional cuy-producing zones.

What's NOT Banned

Restaurants serving cooked cuy are exempt. If you were planning cuy asado this weekend, that's still on the table at the usual places — the restriction targets live-animal sales in public markets and fairs, not the finished dish at a restaurant.

The Impact on Producers

The restriction is already biting. Restaurant owner Jessica Torres told El Mercurio: "desde el pasado domingo, se ha evidenciado una menor afluencia de clientes" — since last Sunday, fewer customers have shown up.

Other producers quoted:

• Elsa Guzmán, 12 years in the business.
• Irlanda Chuni, running a 5-year operation.

Both flagged sharp sales drops right after the alert went public.

What This Means for You

• Eating cuy at a restaurant — still fine. The exemption for cooked cuy means the traditional cuy asado spots (Gualaceo's cuy belt, El Valle weekend stands, market restaurants) are not affected.
• Buying live cuy at Feria Libre, 10 de Agosto, or rural ferias — not right now. The restriction targets exactly those market channels.
• If you raise cuy yourself (surprisingly common in rural expat-adjacent households), hold off on moving animals to market until Agrocalidad releases lab results.
• Watch for rabbit sales too. This is specifically a cuy and conejo restriction, so commercial rabbit sales fall in the same bucket.

Agrocalidad describes the measure as "temporal y preventiva" — temporary and preventive — pending lab confirmation of what's actually killing rabbits in Tungurahua. No firm end date has been published.

Source: El Mercurio