In less than 10 years, if the area devoted to growing avocados continues to grow at it current rate, Colombia could become the second largest producer and exporter of Hass avocado, after Mexico.
Annually, the area planted with Hass avocado increases by 1,500 to 2,000 hectares. To date the country already has 15,000 hectares devoted to this variety, and the departments of Antioquia, Caldas, and Tolima are the main producers. However, according to Rodolfo Ahumada, Commercial Director of Pacific Fruits SAS, the departments with the most growth potential is the Valle del Cauca, Cauca, Huila, and Putumayo.
Pacific Fruits SAS is a Colombian company that exported more than 450 containers of avocados to different international markets last year. This week, the company exported through the Cartagena Regional Port Society the first container of Hass avocado produced in Quindio, which is destined for the largest buyer of this fruit in the United States, the Calavo Growers Inc. firm, of Santa Paula (California).
Pacific Fruits plans to ship at least 35 containers of avocado this year to that large US buyer.
Mexico is the world's leading producer of Hass avocado, with 170,000 hectares cultivated. Peru also stands out, with some 45,000 hectares.
The first export made by Pacific Fruits of avocado grown by Quindio producers, had the logistic support of the Broom Group, a multinational company with headquarters in Chile and that has had a presence in Colombia since 2002.
Broom also became a producer and already has some 200 hectares planted with Hass avocado in Algeria (in the north of the Valle del Cauca). This firm helped export around 510 containers of Hass avocado in 2017, i.e. 36% of the market. Some of its strategic partners are: Hubemar de Cartagena (customs operator), OPL, transport company, and port companies. Its services facilitate exports of exotic fruits such as gulupa, pineapple, soursop, lemon, and cape gooseberries to European markets, the US, Asia, Central America, and the Middle East.
Source: eluniversal.com.co