The Agricola Matilda Company from Cusco will export a total of 15 containers of Hass avocados to the European Union (EU), thanks to a strategic alliance with the Israeli global company, Mehadrin Tnuport Export, and Sierra Exportadora's articulation work.
The first container with 20 tons of Hass avocado will be shipped from the port of Callao on March 11 and the last one will be shipped out in mid-April when exports amount to a total of 300 tons, said the CEO of Sierra Exportadora, Alfonso Velasquez Tuesta.
He said they were shipping the avocado in a commercial window between December and March in which Peru can cover the lower supply of Hass avocado to the EU and achieve better prices. "There favorable conditions in these months, such as temperature, humidity, and a lower incidence of pests and diseases," he said.
First direct shipment
Velasquez Tuesta considered this shipment was a major step for small producers from Limatambo in Cusco, as they were doing them without any intermediaries. Mehadrin is a company that has a global presence in the fruit and vegetables markets, it has five offices across the EU (in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, France, and the United Kingdom), which are directly articulated with supermarket chains in those countries.
The first 20 tons of Hass avocado were transferred from Cusco to Ica, where they were packed by the Sun fruits company. The fruits will depart from the port of Callao to the European Union and reach their destination in 23 days.
Prior to the shipment, he added, the Israeli company visited Agricola Matilda in the district of Limatambo, within the province of Anta in Cusco, where they signed a letter of understanding with its owner, Victor Caceres, as Agricola Matilda will be the company in charge of generating a production chain with other avocado growers from Limatambo.
Production above 2,200 meters
Agricola Matilda is located 2,200 meters above sea level. The company has 52 hectares to produces Hass avocados for export. Sierra Exportadora provided technical assistance to the producers at harvest time and the company will soon obtain GlobalGAP certification.
To achieve their first shipment, the company worked in coordination with the head of the Sierra Exportadora's headquarters in Cusco, Renan Alfaro; the Mayor of the Municipality of Limatambo, Jose Suarez, and producers of Hass avocado.
Israel's largest producer and exporter of citrus
Edgar Mattos, Mehadrin's commercial representative for Latin America, said the Mehadrin Company had 8,500 hectares to produce fruits and vegetables in Israel, which made it Israel's largest producer and exporter of citrus.
Last year the company visited various regions in Peru to promote the products grown by small farmers and give them the advantage of directly exporting their products to supermarkets.