Avocado consumption continues to grow around the world, particularly in the Americas with countries such as Mexico and Chile leading the rankings. It was this need that led company Subsole to decide to seek new and better varieties for a more demanding market. 

As the global population continues to grow so too does demand for food, but not just any food. Subsole commercial director Juan Carlos Domínguez says consumers are not only looking for foods to meet their nutrition needs, but that quality and flavor are needed to conquer their taste buds.

"Chilean consumers are becoming more demanding, they are learning to look after themselves and give in to their tastes. That's why the consumption of Hass avocados has grown so much versus other varieties. I believe that once Gem™ avocados enter the market, consumers will prefer it for the variety's flavor and availability," he says.

The Gem™ avocado is a new variety that is being developed by Westfalia Fruit, and marketed by its commercial partner Subsole in Chile under a trial that has been going on for just over a year now. The company believes the variety promises not only to capture consumers' attention with its creamy texture and intense flavor with a hint of nut, but to position itself amongst avocado growers due to conditions such as late ripening (four weeks after Hass), lower alternate bearing, larger size, and production per tree which can be 10-15% greater than Hass.

The Gem™ avocado was developed by researchers at the University of California, Riverside in the U.S., who issued the international license for development and commercialization to South Africa-based Westfalia Fruit. The company has studied the variety's acceptance in markets like Great Britain, where tasting panels undertaken by an independent lab found the Gem™ scored more points compared to Hass.

Westfalia Technological Services Latin American representative Consuelo Fernández said the new variety was in an experimental phase in Chile, as existing performance results were based only on what had been done in South Africa and the United States.

"We are very optimistic. Experimental plantations established by Westfalia Fruit together with Subsole in Chile have been going on for a year and the experimental avocado trees are already loaded with fruit. We expect to have the first harvest at the end of the year, and to do a ripening evaluation compared to Hass [trees] of the same age," she said.

The new variety promises to enchant Chilean growers, who could lengthen the growing season by at least six weeks, without a pronounced alternate bearing due to the fruit's late ripening.

Additionally the tree's compact shape could lead to denser plantations, adding to the fact the fruit can be grown more internally, thus protecting it from sun and wind.

It is hoped that Gem™ avocados will generate greater returns because they cover an export window that currently exists, and have greater size and productivity.

Grower expectations

"I believe this new variety will fill a portion of the market that is later, and what is not supplied today in the domestic market, making it very attractive to evaluate."

Agrícola El Canelillo representative Luis Macchiavello.

"It seems like a very interesting variety to me. We'll have to see results from the first orchards, and to see the royalty. I believe it would be a very well placed variety in Chile because we like creamy and nutty avocados."

Agrícola Las Palmas representative Felipe Arredondo.

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