According to data provided by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Colombia is the third-biggest producer of Hass avocado as it produced 544,933 tons of this product in 2019; only behind Mexico, the largest producer, with 2.17 million tons, and the Dominican Republic, which produced 691,551 tons.
It is also in the top 3 in terms of cultivated area, with a total of 54,427 hectares. It is preceded by Mexico with 261,777 hectares and Peru, with 56,807.
According to Analdex, the exporters' union, during the first 10 weeks of the year the Colombian Hass avocado concentrated the most purchases in the European market. Jorge Restrepo, the president of Corpohass, said there was a concentration of sales in the European Union and that it was becoming increasingly important they achieve commercial agreements and admissibility processes to take advantage of the good economic conditions of various countries.
Restrepo said that Colombia was practically the only country that produced Hass avocado on a large scale in the tropical zone, which gives it certain competitive and comparative production and export advantages. Taking into account that the country's production is growing every year (+11% between 2019 and 2020), the avocado industry is capable of complying with the international offer and supplying the local market.
In 2019 and 2020, the trade balance has been significantly positive, as the country only imported 49 tons from Ecuador and 734 tons from the Netherlands.
Source: agronegocios.co