Colombia exported almost 70,000 metric tons (MT) of Hass avocado between January and September, reporting a 35 percent increase year-on-year, according to El Colombiano.

Shipments of the fruit accrued US$157 million, while in 2020 for the same period reached $96 million showing a 63 percent increase from last year.

Jorge Restrepo, director of Corpohass, said that this fruit has risen in the basket of agricultural goods that Colombia sells to the world.

Restrepo said he remembers shipping the first container in 2009 and today, only 12 years later, the fruit is already at the top of exports.

“The Hass avocado is fourth in agricultural export sales from Colombia preceded only by coffee, bananas and flowers, as well as palm oil and sugar though these undergo processes and can't be classified as purely agricultural," he said.

Seven markets have been opened in the last four years for the Colombian avocado including the U.S., Argentina, China, Japan, Peru, Korea and Chile.

Currently, the international market is dominated by Mexico, which has almost 60 percent market share in supplying Hass avocado, while Peru, Chile, Spain, Portugal and Colombia are still growing.

Today, according to official figures, Colombia's main destinations are in Europe, led by the Netherlands with 37,000MT worth US$85 million, followed by the UK, with almost 10,000MT tons equivalent to $23 million, and Spain, with 8,000MT at $16 million.

Belgium is next and reached 5,00MT at $11 million, France followed with 4,000MT at $9 million, and Germany with 2,000MT at $5 million.

Colombia's producing areas include Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío, Valle, Cauca, Huila, Tolima and Antioquia.

The industry aims to promote sustainability in its processes and clear up doubts about its impact on the environment due to the high consumption of water resources and the energy demand required for transportation.

Photo: El Colombiano