Avocado consumption has been growing exponentially in the United States in the last decade, and Avocados from Peru, under the leadership of Xavier Equihua, president and CEO of the Peruvian Avocado Commission (PAC), has contributed to this growth. Founded in 2010, the PAC aims to promote Peruvian avocados in the U.S. market.
"The U.S. Government implemented a program to charge 5 cents per kilo of avocados imported or produced domestically, with the purpose of allocating that money to promote the consumption of this fruit. As a result of this strategy, avocado consumption in the U.S. has been growing by approximately 10% annually, reaching impressive levels. In fact, up to 70 million dollars have been invested in avocado promotion alone," says the CEO, highlighting the relevance of this product in the country.
Peruvian avocados have found their niche in a competitive market, especially during the summer months (June to September), when Californian fruit is not so readily available. "We face no competition in the summer," says Equihua, noting that Avocados from Peru takes advantage of this period to launch promotional campaigns in more than 30 supermarket chains, including Walmart, Sam's Club and Costco. These promotions range from direct discounts to activities in and outside the points of sale.
Peru has shipped 145 million pounds of avocados to the United States this year. Although Mexico remains the largest supplier, Equihua does not believe the two countries are competing against each other. "What we are doing is complementing what was already available in the U.S. market," he says. Furthermore, he says that the PAC has managed to expand its reach, targeting various regions of the United States beyond the West Coast which are mainly covered by the California Avocado Commission.
Although avocado consumption in the United States has remained stable over the last five years at around 2.7 to 2.8 billion pounds, this figure is expected to grow to 3.3 billion in the next five years. However, Equihua says that growth has slowed down compared to a decade ago.
For more information:
Xavier Equihua
Peruvian Avocado Commission (PAC)
Avocados from Peru
Tel.: +1 202 607 0560
[email protected]
https://avocadosfromperu.com/