Colombian avocado exports to Europe have grown by 41 percent between 2016 and 2021, the government promotional body for foreign direct investment, trade and tourism, ProColombia revealed, ahead of National Avocado Day on 31st July.

The UK is one of its key buyers. By the end of 2021, Colombia had exported $193.6million worth of avocados to Europe, a 44.3 percent year-on-year growth between 2020 and 2021.

Colombia has registered an annual growth of 14 percent in the area planted with avocado in the last five years which, combined with crop yield and harvested area, has contributed to 89 percent growth in production.

The country has two avocado harvests per year: a main harvest between October and January and a secondary crop between May and September. Colombia primarily exports Hass avocado, but also produces Papelillo, Choquette, and Santana varieties.

Flavia Santoro, President of ProColombia, said: “Avocado is one of the main milestones of Colombia’s agro-export offering, thanks to the flavor, quality, and sustainability that are sown every day by our domestic producers and supported by foreign investors.”

In addition, Colombia’s Avocado Exporters Association, Corpohass, has created an initiative called the Persea Plan that streamlines the process of inspection for pests and diseases, reducing the time and costs of exports to the European Union, by transferring the monitoring process from ports to the packing plants.

In April 2022, both Corpohass and ProColombia participated in this year’s leading fair for the fruit trade, Fruit Logistica in Berlin.

The main Colombian avocado exporters include: Avofruit S.A.S, Westfalia Fruit Colombia S.A.S, Asociacion de Productores de Aguacate Hass Colombia SAT, Jardin Exotics S.A.S and Pacific Fruits International S.A.S, among others.