The Association of Hass Avocado Producers of Peru (ProHass) reduced the projection of exports of this Peruvian fruit in 2023 to 598,344 tons, after estimating shipments of more than 630,000 in the month of March.
This projection is even lower than the 624,000 tons that ProHass announced in January, and represents only 8% more than the 554,299 tons that were shipped in 2022. Until a few months ago, growth of 14% was expected for the current year.
Juan Carlos Paredespresident of ProHass, attributed this decline to a harvest with fruits between 10% and 15% smaller due to the effects of the La Niña Phenomenon in 2022. The estimate for shipments to Europe in 2023 had already gone from 358,685 to 341,850 tons.
“During the last few years, we have had a very large growth in avocado exports to the world. This year we expect to close at around 600,000 tons, an advance of 8% compared to 2022,” he said at a press conference.
ProHass expects export growth in the order of 10% by 2024. By 2023, he anticipates that the demand will remain between 6% and 8% per year nationally and internationally.
“Initially, growth was projected at 14%, but we have reduced the figure due to a smaller fruit size. It is equally important, with Peru being the second largest exporter worldwide,” said Paredes.
The Hass avocado cannot enter Asia
It is not the only obstacle that the sector has encountered this year. The transit time to Asian countries -one of the markets most sought after by producers- has not yet recovered its pre-pandemic levels. Insurers also do not cover port diversion delays.
Consequently, the avocado stops being exported to prevent it from spoiling along the way, and with this, the income with greater volumes to still incipient markets for the Peruvian Hass avocado is lost as India, Japan, Korea and China. The latter has been multiplying the number of containers it receives.
“Transit times are long, which makes trade with countries on this continent difficult,” he added.
Currently, Peru has around 60,132 hectares of Hass avocado, managed by a total of 23,675 producers. It is the second global exporter, only behind Mexico, to the point that 80% of the avocado consumed in the countries of the northern hemisphere of Europe in summer is Peruvian.
Source: Larepublica
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