The Hass avocado, called the "green gold", has entry to the market most coveted by any fruit producer: the USA, a country that is served by Mexican cultivators.
For a long time, there has been a boom, a kind of fashion for the planting of this avocado in the country, given the possibilities that now exist to place it in foreign markets. Now that there is a green light for the U.S., intentions to grow it have increased.
However, Víctor Hugo Morales Núñez, manager of Agronegocio y Proyectos Ltda., AG&P, estimates that although Santander has agroclimatic conditions and lands for sowing Hass, (1,600 to 2,000 masl), these expansion programs must be framed within a technological package, or otherwise the initiative is doomed to failure.
One cannot repeat the errors incurred with other varieties (Lorena, Santa Cruz and Choquet, for example) that are being sown without even taking into account soil conditions.
"If you want to plant Hass you have to develop an entire management capacity. This means that local research and development, technological adjustments, producer organizations oriented to the production of fruit for export, entrepreneurship and sustainable development have to be carried out, as this work will be carried out in hillside areas, "he added.
Morales Núñez says that it is not a matter of watering trees and looking at what is harvested, so there must be an extension and technical assistance program to overcome the grave errors that have been committed historically: to formulate projects only when sowing begins.
Producing to export, as a concept, is not the same as collecting some fruits and taking them to sell to the Centroabastos wholesale center.
The researcher added that an export oriented approach involves a set of activities ranging from nurseries, material selection and planting, since everything has to work with a good agricultural practices plan. Standards of quality and homogeneity of the fruit must be strictly adhered to.
Morales Núñez said that Santander has potentials such as climate and soils, which are pillars to achieve a high quality fruit and within the standards demanded by the North American market.
Potential zones
According to Morales Núñez, the areas where you can grow Hass in Santander are those that are above 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level.
Depending on ecological niches, it could be planted above 2,000 feet, but taking into account the exposure levels where cloudiness and the light hours play a substantial role.
The researcher estimates that avocado should be sown on loamy and high aeration soils, and not on those that are clayey, as it does not tolerate soaking and moisture of its roots.
Regarding grafting process patterns, it is estimated that those that have been made in anisados (wild avocados) have been successful, because they are tolerant and have a good reaction against diseases. Also, it has to be kept in mind that the patterns must be compatible.
Great advantage
According to Ricardo Uribe Lalinde, manager of Cartama, one of the pioneering firms in the cultivation of this variety, one of the advantages that Colombia has is that it has the possibility of producing avocado for 12 months of the year because of its tropical location.
"The moment that the North American market has an unsatisfied demand it could be supplied, because unlike countries like Peru and Chile, there is permanent production, which gives us a great competitive advantage," he said.
Source: vanguardia.com
