International demand for Colombian avocado, one of the most cultivated fruits in the country, has increased by two digits.
According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, based on information from the Dane, in the first semester avocado exports amounted to 25.2 million dollars, 34.8 percent more than in the same period in 2016.
Colombia is the third largest producer of all the avocado varieties, including the Hass variety. The country's avocado exports went from 171,000 dollars in 2011 to 35 million dollars in 2016.
"We seek to position ourselves among the world's eight biggest avocado exporters, linking small producers with added value," said the Minster of Commerce, Maria Claudia Lacouture.
Moreover, the government has defined the Hass avocado as a Strategic National Interest Project (Pine) and expects the country will export 109 million dollars in avocados to achieve 7 percent of the world's share of the business in 2018. This year, the country expects to export 70 million dollars in avocados, including the Hass variety.
According to Lacouture, "the goal is to meet the phytosanitary requirements to enter the United States and China, and ensure a level of quality to sustain sales and good price in the European Union."
Between 2010 and 2014, worldwide Hass avocado exports totaled $ 10.509 billion dollars, and the main importers were the US (46.6 percent), the Netherlands (8.7 percent); France (8.3 percent) and Japan (5.1 percent).
US avocado imports increased from $ 860 million in 2012 to $ 1.6 billion in 2015. This rise is due, among other things, to the increase in Hispanic populations and the market's trend to eat ethnic and healthy foods.
One aspect to highlight was the recent move of the US Mission Produce - which has its own operations in the US, Peru, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, Canada and the Netherlands - of adding the Colombian product to its portfolio. The firm signed an agreement with Grupo Cartama, which is made up of the Colombian companies, Avofruit, Palo Negro, Ula Investment, Las Paltas and Huertos Alto Bonito.
Source: EconomÃa y Negocios