The President of Commercial Fruits from France, Gabriel Burunat, reported that in the 2013 campaign, which ended in October, Peru exported 84,000 tonnes of avocado to Europe, more than 34% than in 2012.
In that regard, he indicated that the Hass avocados exported from Peru to Europe this year had a very high quality and that their image as a provider improved significantly when compared to the previous year (2012), when the product's quality was very poor, especially at the end of the season.
He also stressed that avocado consumption in Europe has grown in the last decade, which was reflected in the Peruvian avocado shipments to the continent. While shipments in 2003 reached 170,000 tonnes in 2012-2013 they totalled 265,000.
On the other hand, he stressed that the bloc's purchase volume increased from 225,000 tonnes in the 2011/2012 season to 265,000 tonnes in 2012/2013.
"In the 2013 off season, which already ended, Europe imported 148,000 tonnes of avocado, 16,000 tonnes more than in 2012, when they imported 132,000 tonnes," he said, and explained that in that window Peru competes against South Africa and Kenya.
"Now we have to see how the (2013/2014) winter season integrated by Israel, Chile, Mexico, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Morocco, Colombia and the United States will be," he said.
Burunat also pointed out that the range of avocado shipments from Israel, South Africa, Kenya and Spain have remained the same in the last ten years, while those from Mexico have dropped significantly. While Mexican shipments in 2003/2004 amounted to 18,700 tonnes in 2011/2012 they totalled 2,900 tonnes. They had a recovery in 2012/2013, totalling 9,000 tonnes, but that still only represents half of the volume that they sent ten years ago.
Regarding Chile, he noted the country increased its presence in Europe by ten in the last decade, from 4,046 tonnes in 2003 to 41,000 tonnes in the year 2012-2013. Meanwhile, he noted that the volume of avocados from Peru to Europe has increased by seven in the same period, from 11,266 tonnes in 2003 to 84,000 tonnes in 2013. "As you can see, the avocados from Peru and Chile have fed and participated in the growth of avocado consumption in the European market in the last decade," he said.
Source: Agraria.pe