While preemptive media reports indicated otherwise this week, Colombian Hass avocados have not yet been approved for entry into the United States.

Although Colombia has already sent the final paperwork for entry into the U.S., the producer is still awaiting response from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), according to the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA).

Pest control has been an important area of improvement for Colombian avocados, explained Juan David Mondragón, executive director of Corpohass, the Colombian Hass Avocado Growers and Exporters Corporation.

“We’re still in the process of Hass avocado admissibility in the U.S. We’ve already been working for three years with ICA, which keeps APHIS informed on the condition of shipments, preventative control and pest quarantine processes,” Mondragón told www.freshfruitportal.com.

“Colombia has three pests of interest for the U.S. They're a limitation and we have to show the Americans that we are doing the entire control process and have had zero captures in 12 months.”

Mondragón added that phytosanitary work has been taken on as priority in Colombia’s private and public sectors.

Colombia currently exports avocados to Europe, including England, Germany and Finland.

“We have a window (September-April) where we offer the largest amount of exported fruit. We think we’ll close this season with US$12 million, which is a very small value. This still doesn’t give us an important international presence,” Mondragón said.

“But our plantations are still very young. Approximately 60% of our planted area will begin to produce in two or three more years.”

Mondragón added that while Colombian avocados still lack standardization, they are good quality.

“We still can’t compare ourselves to the quality of Chilean and Peruvian fruit, but our avocados are healthy, have good oil content and we believe, thanks to our high altitude, that we have a slightly different taste,” he said.

Colombian producers are also in the process of pursuing GlobalGAP certification, in part of larger goals to implement consistent industry standards and guidelines.

With respect to opportunities on the U.S. market, Mondragón said, “Without a doubt, the U.S. for us is very important. They are a natural partner. They have always supported us and after Mexico, we think we could be a natural second country to supply fresh fruit, due to our geographic location.”

Mondragón estimated Colombia would send 8,600 metric tons (MT) for export in 2016. Over the next eight years, he also expected Colombia to double its avocado acreage.

Photo: www.shutterstock.com

www.freshfruitportal.com