A shipment of avocados from Costa Rica is currently on its way to Italy. The Industrial Agricultural Cooperative of Fruit Producers of Coopey (Frutalcoop R.L.) has dispatched the first sample shipment to Italy. The company shipped 40 kilos of 150-240 grams of Costa Rican avocado, which are expected to arrive in Italy in mid-September.
"This first shipment will serve as a diagnosis, so we hope that the ripening of the fruit is correct. Then it will be tested to verify the entry into the European market. At the moment, our avocado isn't competitive as the imported product at the national level because of the high production costs; however, its quality surpasses the quality of the imported product, so we must diversify to offer producers better prices," stated Johanna Chanto Vargas, the manager of Frutalcoop R. L.
The cooperative, which is located in Copey de Dota and has a total of 61 members, is working to obtain the GLOBAL GAP certification, which is needed to export, and the Essential Costa Rica brand, among other things.
Source: larepublica.net