Avocado exports will increase between 20% and 25% in 2013. This year, a thousand new hectares will be added to the existing 11,000 to achieve greater production.
At 67, Cervando Sulcahuamán, president of Apurimac's Cooperative Agrofrutícula Bella Abanquina, continues to pursue his dream: to export their crops to different parts of the world.
However, he is aware that do so he must continue to change their Fuerte avocado variety to Hass avocado, because the latter is in great demand in the international market.
"The Fuerte avocado is the most liked in the local market but it's saturated. So we are betting on the Hass avocado, which is sold abroad, but, to be able to export we need to have large volumes of production," he said.
The time needed for this fruit, from planting until harvest, depends on the area where it is grown, and can be as long as two or three years.
The weather can allow for harvest in the second year in the mountains, while coastal crops require more intensive work.
According to data from the Association of Exporters (ADEX), in 2012, exports totalled US $136,326 and the main destinations for Hass avocados were the Netherlands, Spain, United States, United Kingdom and Canada.
Guillermo Parodi, engineer for Mountain Fruit Exports program, said that 97% of all exported avocados are of the Hass variety.
One of its main features is that it's more resistant than the Fuerte avocado, therefore, by having more durability it may yield more per hectare, so the farmer's profit will be higher.
"90% of the international market consumes Hass avocado. One advantage of this type of avocado is that once it's harvested it lasts longer than the Fuerte variety, which allows it to be handled, packaged and sold in foreign markets "he said.
Source: larepublica.pe
