Posts Tagged “Peruvian avocado exports”
Peruvian avocado exports have been largely focused on Europe during the opening stages of its season, but the industry now sees a market opportunity in the U.S.
Mexican avocado shipments are in a seasonal decline. Until now the South American country’s options in the U.S. have been limited due to heavy volumes from the world’s largest exporter. Mexico shipped 50 to 70 million pounds a week during April.
Peru is expected to be supply most of the U.S. market during July and August. The season will likely wind down in September.
Peru is expecting exports of around 360,000 metric tons (MT) this season, which would mark a 25 percent increase over last year. The country also is starting exports to Asian markets including Taiwan, South Korea, India and Japan.
Peru has significantly extended its season on the front-end due to orchards in new northern growing regions coming into production.
The Peruvian avocado ramped up volumes in mid-April.
Following a year-on-year drop in export volumes last season of 17 percent, Peru is forecasting a 5 percent increase over 2018, when 336,000MT were exported. But unlike 2018, when the volumes were greatly concentrated in a few weeks, supplies are more consistent and spread out throughout the season. The peak volume is expected to be from May through July.
The Peruvian Hass Avocado Growers’ Association (ProHass) reports there had been a slight slowdown in exports, but it was believed this was more related to companies learning about how to implement the new measures under the covid-19 pandemic and also due to market uncertainty over recent weeks.
There have so far been few problems in terms of logistics in Peru, with
enough truck drivers available and accommodating to the new schedules. The flow of containers from the ports to the packing houses and vice versa has also not been much of an issue, but the response times and efficiency of these operations have slowed. The first exports of the Peruvian avocado season have been focused on the European market.
Peruvian exports to the U.S. has been increasing in recent years. Peruvian avocado supplies are viewed as a good complement to the domestic and Mexican supplies. Exports from Mexico are at the lowest point in the Northern Hemisphere summer months.
While avocados from Peru arrive mainly at East Coast ports in the U.S. they as shipped nationwide.
Europe is still Peru’s primary market, and it is now shipping there, as well as China and Japan.
Peruvian avocado exports to the U.S. have completed another year with impressive gains in volume to the U.S.
Avocados from Peru, a promotion group, reports 183 million pounds of Peruvian avocados arrived in the U.S. from June to September, second in import volume to Mexico.
The USDA reports weekly shipments through October 19th reveal season-to-date imports of Peruvian avocados totaled 157 million pounds, up 12 percent from 140.2 million pounds a year go.
USDA monthly trade statistics show even bigger gains. The agency reports the U.S. imported more than 83,000 metric tons from Peru from January through August, 24 percent above last year’s level. By value, the U.S. imported about $221 million worth of Peruvian avocados in the first eight months of 2019, up 53 percent from 2018.
Peru accounted for 11.4 percent of U.S. avocado import volume and 11.3 percent of U.S. import value for the January through August, up from 5.3 percent of volume and 5 percent of value for the same period in 2015.
Avocados from Peru said that from June to September, the country is the largest exporter to Europe and the second largest supplier of imported avocados to the U.S.