Diego Aristizábal, president of the Quindío Avocado Producers Association and the National Federation of Avocado Producers (Fedeaguacate), said the Colombian avocado industry has been growing, although there has been a slowdown in acreage planting. 

The cultivation has primarily expanded in the department of Quindío, “which is one of the smallest departments, along with the coffee-growing region, including Antioquia, Tolima, Cauca, and the northern part of Santander,” he noted.

The association's president said they're still relatively young in the avocado industry and have been conducting all the necessary studies and tests to position themselves in the market since their initial benchmarks were Peru, Chile, and Mexico, which have different environmental conditions from ours in every aspect.

Since the foundations of the Colombian avocado industry were based on the production guidelines of other countries, Aristizábal said they now have protocols and research tailored to Colombia, which has led to significant progress in agronomy.

He added that Colombia has many avocado varieties, most destined for the domestic market. “For exports, the main variety is Hass,” he pointed out.

Photo courtesy of Diego Aristizábal.

Markets for Colombian Avocados

"Our main market is Europe, where we send 70% of our production, followed by the United States and Canada, and finally Asia," he detailed.

In 2023, approximately 646 containers were shipped to the United States, which increased to 1,510 in 2024. "If we continue growing at this rate, we will soon solidify our position in the North American market."

When asked about possible tariff increases on Mexican products, including avocados, he said, “This could allow us to expand our presence in the market. However, our main concern is producing high-quality, safe avocados.”

He specified that they also aim to expand in the United States, Canada, Asia, and Chile.

Strategies for the Fruit

Strategy is essential for becoming a key player in international markets. Aristizábal mentioned that they have been working with ProColombia to explore and expand new markets. 

"The most important thing is to deliver high quality and maintain significant volumes to meet market demands," he said.

Another crucial factor for the growth and expansion of the sector is investment.

"We hope to see significant investments like we did 3-4 years ago. Investment has decreased somewhat due to political issues, but we hope to recover and attract new investors willing to continue growing in the business."

Currently, the sector relies on private financing, and “there are some important national loans, but they are still insufficient and do not generate great expectations for expanding cultivation areas through state-funded loans,” he explained.

He noted that some producers have been expanding their cultivated areas. “Most have been growing slower, but new producers have also entered the industry. The main growth is observed in production capacity and exports.”

The president of the National Federation of Avocado Producers of Colombia took the opportunity to send a message to the industry, emphasizing that “we must focus on quality; this is the biggest challenge for entering new markets and making avocados one of the most sought-after fruits.”

“Let’s continue working in compliance with all regulations, respecting environmental requirements, but most importantly, work hard to produce quality. With high quality, we will see greater demand for our fruit,” he concluded.