Posts Tagged “Columbian avocados”
Peak avocado exports for the Columbian traviesa season is occurring and will continue to do so through June. However, the season takes place from April through August for the country, which is a global supplier of hass avocados, the Colombian Avocado Board reports.
Currently during the peak of this season, the U.S. market can expect arrivals of more than 50 containers a week of avocados from Colombia, with volume decreasing gradually over the course of the season, according to a news release.
The growth of the Colombian avocado market comes on the heels of continued year-over-year increases of double and triple digits and maturity of the Colombian growing regions. Today, more than a dozen packing sheds and more than 400 growers are certified to ship hass avocados to the U.S. market, the Colombia Avocado Board says.
Colombian avocados are available year-round and due to the region’s tropical climate and have varied blooms and harvest times with two distinct harvest seasons. The seasons include the traviesa season and the main season that runs September to January.
Colombia has produced and distributed avocados for decades, however, the growth and popularity of Colombian avocados has expanded due to access to U.S. market starting in 2018 along with expanding country infrastructure improvements, the Colombia Avocado Board said. “The 2023 season concluded with its highest shipment totals ever, exceeding 32 million pounds. For 2024, shipments are projected to increase by over 50%, reaching a total volume of 50 million pounds for the entire year.”
A 104% increase in total avocado pounds shipped to the U.S. to date during the 2022-2023 season has been reported by The Colombia Avocado Board (CAB).
This data is provided by the Hass Avocado Board which tracks shipments and sales of Hass avocados from all growing regions.
During the past two years avocado production and orchard development in Colombia has increased rapidly. In 2021, there were 150 orchards producing just under 6.5 million pounds of avocados. Today, there are 488 orchards across eight states, and production is soaring with nearly 25 million pounds of avocados being produced in the 2023 season so far, a 325% increase since 2021.
The expansion of certified acreage is a major contributor to the increase in volumes and the growth of the industry in general.
CAB reported excitement over the growth of avocado exports the last two years and looks forward to see where volume stands in the years to come.
The ability of Columbia to ship directly to the U.S., one of the of the strongest avocado consumption markets in the world, is a great asset to Colombia Avocados suppliers, and provides American consumers with more supply choices to meet their growing demand.
Within a few years, the company Westfalia estimates it will be exporting 10,000 to 15,000 metric tons (MT) of fruit from its own orchards, plus an additional 15,000 metric tons from third-party growers.
The company’s growth coincides with growth in the overall Colombian avocado industry. Westfalia predicts total Colombian exports will increase by at least 30 percent a year, hitting 100,000MT within five years.
d
The Colombian avocado industry focuses mostly on exports to the European market, but Westfalia believes its operation will increase exports to the U.S. in time, not only because it’s the largest avocado market, but also because of its geographic proximity. Transit times from Columbia to the U.S. are under a week, and are 24 hours less than Mexico when exporting to the U.S. East Coast. The operation also is looking to export avocados to other South American countries and to Canada as Columbia seeks to become a reliable year-round avocado supplier, complementing volumes from Mexico.
Although Westfalia does not foresee Colombia replacing Mexico, it believes Colombia should be a good plan B for the U.S..
“The constant changes within the Mexican industry can be challenging for the trade, especially for retailers and consumers. So I think Colombia could provide more stable conditions with certain volumes for the future.
“I have no doubt in my mind that, in the next few years, the U.S. market will be the most important target market for Colombian avocados.”
Columbian imported avocados are being introduced to the United States…Meanwhile, it is springtime in Chile and it’s that time of the year for arrivals of Chilean grapes and well as other fruits.
Last August the USDA approved hass avocados imports by the U.S. from Colombia. It won’t be heavy volume for sure but observers see slow, but steady increases in 2018. Colombian agriculture officials said in a news release that hass exports will start this month from a farm near Antioquia, a production area that has been approved for exports to the U.S.
Hass avocado exports from Colombia will increase by 20 percent to Europe and North America, according to the officials with the Colombian Agricultural and Livestock Institute. The USDA reports through November 2017, imports of Columbian avocados totaled 29,300 metric tons.
The Columbian institute works with 33 hass avocado production sites including buffer areas. After complying with plant health requirements put in place by USDA and Colombian officials, all those sites will be authorized to export to the U.S.
Chilean Fruit Imports
California grape shipments to U.S. markets are on their last leg. Quality has been variable in recent weeks although plenty of pretty sweet grapes have been loaded for this late in the season. As California finishes up it season, Chilean import grapes are already arriving by boat at U.S. ports, but at this point mostly at Philadelphia. As fruit volume increases from Chile, other ports such as those at Los Angeles will begin receiving product. It is early in the Chilean grape season and around 375 truckloads of the fruit are arriving weekly, but volume is increasing with the majority of the volume coming during the next couple of months. Chilean peaches and plums also are coming in by boat, but in very light volume that also is increasing.
(Photo was taken by Bill Martin in January 1992 on a trip to Chile. It was photographed at a grape packing plant in Northern Chile.)
Adequate supplies of sweet potatoes shipments to U.S. markets are seen in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the first ever avocados from Columbia have arrived in the U.S.
North Carolina, the nation’s leading producer and shipper of sweet potatoes should have good supplies the remainder the year, including the important Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
The Tar Heel State has only 83,000 acres, which is 15,000 fewer acres than last season, which is significant considering the state produces over half of the sweet potatoes in the U.S. The loss of acreage is expected to be partially offset by a five percent increase in yields. The harvest continues, but should be mostly completed by Thanksgiving.
Some of the major NC sweet potato shippers are:
Tull Hill Farms Inc., Kinston, N.C.,
Southern Produce Distributors Inc., Faison, N.C.,
Burch Farms, Faison, N.C
Nash Produce LLC, Nashville, N.C.,
Imported Columbian Avocados
The first containers of Colombian avocados destined for the United States were loaded onto vessels at the Port of Cartagena on Thursday, November 2, during a ceremony that included Colombian avocado growers and packers, and Colombian Secretary of Agriculture Juan Guillermo Zuluaga, Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA) officials.
This shipment, on a Hapag Lloyd service, sailed on Friday, November 3, and was delivered on Monday, November 6 to Port Everglades, Florida. Once the shipment clears inspections it will be moved directly to Mission’s Atlanta forward distribution center for further inspection before being delivered to the final customer.
Brent Scattini, Mission’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, indicated that there is strong interest in Colombian fruit from a retailer perspective. “Since the announcement about Colombia being allowed into the U.S., we’ve had customers asking about it, and several wanting to be the first to receive the fruit. We expect volume to build throughout the season, as well as in years to come. Having an additional source, another option, is good for our customer base.”
Cartama is the leading producer and distributor of Hass avocados in Colombia. The company produces avocados on nearly 1,000 hectares in Colombia, with a packing plant in Pereira.
Mission Produce of Oxnard, CA operates state-of-the-art avocado packing facilities in California, Mexico, Peru and Chile.
Mission Produce continues it’s expansion with an agreement to distribute Columbian avocados, while Washington cherry shipments continue on its record setting marathon.
Mission Produce of Oxnard has entered into an agreement market and distribute for Colombian avocado grower-packer Cartama.
“Colombia produces avocados on a year-round basis, and is a natural complement for our destination markets around the world,” Jim Donovan, senior vice president of global sourcing for Mission Produce, said in a press release. “Our agreement with Cartama to market and distribute Colombian avocados gives us an additional source of supply as the category continues to grow globally.”
Cartama is the largest producer of hass avocados in Colombia, and has been growing and distributing avocados for over 16 years. It will have nearly 2,500 acres of hass in production by the end of 2017.
“We are very enthusiastic about the venture with Mission,” Ricardo Uribe, CEO of Cartama, said in the release. “Cartama is a world-class producer of hass avocados and working with Mission gives us access to world markets and the ability to accelerate our aggressive growth plans.”
Steve Barnard, president and CEO of Mission Produce, said Colombia is the eighth country where Mission has invested capital and infrastructure.
“We are continuing to grow our global footprint and planning for the future,” Barnard said in the release.
Just this year, Mission Produce has opened ripening centers in Beijing, Calgary, Alberta, and The Netherlands.
Record Cherry Shipments
Washington cherry shipments are expected to be the largest one on record this season with an estimated 26 million-27 million 20-pound boxes being shipped, mostly by truck.
The record, set in 2014, was 23.2 million boxes. The Washington cherry industry has averaged 530,000 boxes per day for the previous 30 days. Previously, Washington had not come close to averaging even 500,000 boxes a day for that length of time.
This season the industry has already shipped 21 million boxes, and nearly a quarter of the crop remains to be shipped. While a couple of grower-shippers have finished shipping cherries, numerous others have several weeks remaining.