PRESS RELEASE

Medellín - In the past few years, avocado has become a food item that is opening doors to the national and Latin American agribusiness in different international markets, because, consumers prefer this product thanks to its size, flavor, nutritional profile and the ease of its preparation for different dishes.

The largest consumer of avocados in the world is the United States, where the population consumes almost 2.9 million tons per year, followed by Japan, Canada, Spain, France, the Netherlands, El Salvador, China, Honduras and Guatemala. Regarding its export, Mexico is the leading country with a 50% share of global imports. The remaining percentage is in the hands of countries such as the Dominican Republic, Colombia (participates with the Hass avocado), Chile, Peru and Indonesia.

In the international market, the Colombian Hass avocado is already recognized for its high quality. This is how its export in recent years has grown exponentially, from US $ 107,000 in 2010 to US $ 35 million in 2016. Its main destinations are The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain. Thus, it is becoming the sixth largest export as an agricultural product after coffee, bananas, flowers, palm oil and sugar.

The main departments which produce the Hass avocado in Colombia are the Eje Cafetero, Tolima, Antioquia and Valle del Cauca.

 The avocado is becoming an important agricultural product for the economy of the main countries producing this food:

1. In Mexico, the avocado is one of the products that provides the most revenue, even above hydrocarbons.
2. Peru estimates a growth of 10% to 15% of its exports by 2018, due to new plantations that are entering production and those that are reaching their maximum capacity.
3. For the Chinese market, Chile has been the largest avocado supplier, surpassing Mexico. This demand continues to increase and most of Chile's promotion budget is spent in this Asian market.
4. According to Analdex (National Association of Foreign Trade), in Colombia about 33,000 tons of Hass avocados will be exported during 2018, with sales representing some 70 million dollars.

Due to the importance that the avocado has taken in the different global economies and the opportunity that this product represents for Colombia, especially for its tropical climate that allows it to harvest it throughout the year, in 2019, the entire avocado industry will meet in Medellín, Colombia from September 23 to 27 at the World Avocado Congress.

"The World Avocado Congress is like the avocado soccer world cup. The congress takes place every 4 years in a different country, and the next host country is selected by vote during the congress by the attendees. In 2019, the congress will take place in Colombia, where the avocado sector is growing rapidly," explains Jorge Enrique Restrepo, CEO of Corpohass.

The ninth edition of the World Avocado Congress will have more than 100 knowledge-sharing activities such as lectures, symposiums, panels and avotalks (specialized short talks) in which six thematic areas will be developed, each one led by an international reference of the sector: Quality and innocuousness, phytosanitary, genetic resources and material development, supply chain, marketing and industrialization, production and productivity, health, nutrition and gastronomy.

Other activities that will take place before, during and after the Congress include:

1. Avotours: immersive experiences where you will experience a guided tour through some of the best places to grow avocado in the world. A tour of the Colombian lands in which you can see a new origin for the avocado: "The tropic", and where visitors can learn about crops, packers and industry institutions of our country.
2. Avosolutions: specialized solution centers where experts from the most important companies in the avocado industry will participate and share their knowledge, experience and expertise.
3. Avomatch: a business roundtable that will allow access to the profiles of all attendees through our mobile application, to schedule appointments during the days of the Congress, and in which the attendees can connect through business opportunities.
4. Trade show: companies exhibiting in the sector will be part of a space to do business, by bringing together the main actors in the value chain and specialized assistants with high decision-making power.
5. Avotaste: networking lunches
6. Avolab: a space where you will have a sample of product developments in nutraceutical and cosmetics.

The World Avocado Congress will offer the opportunity to all its assistants to expand their knowledge and understand the vision of major players of the avocado industry.