Santiago Pinto
The third act of the avocado
Ecuador
Where is avocado quality truly defined? The impact of agronomic management, post-harvest handling, and anticipation of phenomena like El Niño.
In football, many matches seem to be decided in the final minutes. Something similar happens in the agricultural export industry, although with one important difference: when the post-match social gathering arrives, there's not much left to do.
For years, much of the industry's conversation has focused on production. We talk about flowering, yields, sizes, harvests, and marketing windows. However, it's becoming increasingly clear that avocado quality isn't defined solely in the field, but also by its ability to reach the end consumer in optimal condition.
In the analysis of the agricultural business, especially when evaluating resilience in emerging markets like Ecuador in the face of meteorological challenges, such as the El Niño phenomenon, or commercial challenges such as high international competition, a key idea emerges: fruit plays a three-part game.
To understand the success of the global avocado trade , it is necessary to consider the first two fundamental stages of the process:
The first and second half: Agronomic management and harvest
First stage (The orchard): This is the planning, monitoring, and agronomic management stage. Decisions are made here regarding the plant's phenological stage, nutrition, water management, and problem prevention. It is a crucial time for producers to anticipate climate uncertainty.
Second stage (harvesting and packing): This is the stage where the fruit must be handled under strict protocols that protect its condition. The main objective is to reduce the risks associated with humidity, the presence of fungi, or deterioration during transport.
The third half: The true test of the avocado at its destination
Despite the initial efforts, it is the third stage that usually determines the commercial outcome. This period begins once the fruit has reached its international destination markets.
At that point, the grower has very little ability to intervene. The avocado begins its ripening process, and any mistakes made during the previous stages start to become visible. Sanitary problems, internal defects, or difficulties in the fruit's development usually appear far from the field and long after the harvest is over.
Therefore, quality cannot be understood as an attribute that is built solely during export or marketing; it is the accumulated result of an agricultural strategy implemented months earlier.
The potential arrival of a new El Niño phenomenon brings this issue back to the forefront. Faced with scenarios of increased humidity, heavy rainfall, or extreme weather events, there may be an impulse to focus solely on the immediate threat. However, experience shows that the best solutions don't emerge during a crisis, but rather long before it occurs.
Preparing a crop to face a drought or a rainy season requires foresight. It means adhering to agronomic controls, strengthening the trees, and correctly executing each stage of the production process. Because by the time the fruit begins its journey, much of the outcome is already determined.
In an increasingly competitive industry, it is worth remembering that the game does not end when the truck leaves the field; the real test begins when the avocado evolves properly before reaching the consumer's table.
Santiago Pinto
Director Iteranza
spinto@interanza.com
Ecuador
