Colombia has sent its first shipment of Hass avocado to Chile, hand in hand with the exporting company Westfalia Fruit Colombia. The first shipment consisted of 22.5 tons of avocados produced in Sonson, Antioquia. The shipment was made after the company achieved the phytosanitary admissibility to export Hass avocado to the Chilean market in August, after more than eight years of work between the Chilean health authorities and producers of this fruit.
“This opening is important for our company and for the sector as a whole. The most important commercial window we have is in January and February when domestic production is not so strong but consumption is still important," stated Carlos Fernando Echeverri, the commercial manager of Westfalia Fruit Colombia.
In 2021, Chile imported different varieties of avocado worth nearly 126 million dollars, according to TradeMap figures. With a per capita consumption of seven kilograms per year, the only country that exceeds Chile in the consumption of this fruit is Mexico, with 10 kilograms per capita per year.
"This is a very important milestone for the country's avocado sector and it contributes to the continued consolidation of this fruit as one of Colombia's most important agro-export products. We'll continue to work with entrepreneurs so that they can take advantage of the business opportunities that arise in North America, Europe, Asia, and South America," stated Catalina Hernandez, vice president in charge of exports at ProColombia.
The exporting company hopes to grow in Asia and manage to ship about 700 containers of avocado by the end of 2023.
Source: agronegocios.co