Colombia's agricultural sector continues to demonstrate its potential in international markets. The country's Hass avocados are increasingly gaining a foothold in Chile, thanks to the joint effort of producers and the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), and a strong commitment to safety and transparency in each production process.
Inversiones ASL has been leading a project in Pijao, Quindío, on the sustainable cultivation and export of Hass avocados since 2018. The goal: to supply international markets with a product that meets the highest food safety and security standards.
© ICA
Sergio Escobar Orozco, project leader, stressed that technical expertise and the implementation of traceability processes that ensure the quality of the product from planting to export have been key to their success. ICA played a key role in certifying the farm for export to markets such as Chile, a challenge in terms of sanitary and quarantine requirements.
ICA not only supports large companies, but also small and medium-sized growers, complying with the Agrarian Reform and supporting the agricultural sector as a whole.
Accompanying producers is key to complying with strict international standards, stressed agronomist Liliana del Socorro Bermúdez Arana of ICA. "Collaboration with producers is essential to achieve a successful export. From installing pest monitoring traps to verifying fruit quality, every step counts," she said. She also highlighted the importance of prevention, surveillance, and control processes to guarantee food safety and compliance with international standards.
This achievement has a direct economic impact on Hass avocado producers. It is in line with the government's Total Peace and Agrarian Reform policies, contributing to the strengthening of Peasant, Family, Ethnic, and Community Agriculture (ACFEC), and provides rural communities with an economic development alternative that dignifies work in the countryside. Through international trade, growers enter competitive markets, creating more jobs and promoting the dignity of rural work.
This step confirms ICA's role as a strategic ally of Colombian growers and its work to improve the agricultural sector's technical capacity and competitiveness.
"It's a long and detailed process, but the results are encouraging. Exporting Hass avocado to Chile is just the beginning. We want to continue growing and offering our products worldwide, with transparency at every stage," Escobar concluded.
For more information:
ICA
www.ica.gov.co
