Ecuador, known for its long tradition as a banana exporter, is diversifying its agro-export offer by exporting avocado, which faces several commercial challenges.
According to data from the Central Bank of Ecuador, between January and July 2024, the country exported 2,265 tons of avocado for $3,097,000, i.e. 216% more volume and 178% more value albeit an 18% drop in average price over the 1,047 tons worth $1,740,000 exported in the same period of the previous year, stated Alex Bustos Guerra, agronomist, and president of Green Control LA (Ecuador).
"This happened because in 2024 Colombia became the main market for Ecuador's avocado with a 42.2% share and an average price of 0.17 per kilogram, followed by Spain with a 25.6% share, and the Netherlands with 20.5%," Bustos Guerra stated. "The average price of the Ecuadorian avocado stands at $1.37 per kilo, while the Peruvian product's average price is $1.80 per kilo," he said.
Between January and July of last year, when Spain was the main market for Ecuadorian avocado, accounting for 66.4% of its dispatches for $1.80 per kilo, Ecuador obtained an average price of US$1.66 per kilo.
"Ecuador is doing something wrong. People say we have unique production and export windows, that the Andean avocado has more fat and therefore better prices. Export statistics say otherwise," Bustos Guerra stated.
Source: agraria.pe