With robust production and domestic consumption growing year after year, Chile is experiencing a new phase in its avocado industry. Half of the fruit remains in the country, and the local market manages to sustain itself without imports during its harvest season. According to Francisco Contardo Sfeir, executive president of the Chilean Avocado Committee, the challenge now is to maintain stability and strengthen the balance between domestic consumption and exports.

Over the past few years, Chile has consolidated an unprecedented trend in its avocado industry: an increasingly strong domestic market, capable of sustaining a large part of national consumption without relying on imports during the harvest season. This phenomenon, which combines robust production with widespread and sustained consumption, marks a new chapter for a sector that historically focused on exports.

According to Francisco Contardo Sfeir , executive president of the Chilean Avocado Committee , “around half of the production is destined for the domestic market. In fact, the avocado is one of the few Chilean fruits whose production is consumed almost entirely within the country.” Last year, approximately 43% of total production remained in the domestic market , an unusual figure in the fruit export sector that reflects the product's deep roots in the local diet.

The preference of Chilean consumers for avocados has made the country one of the world's largest consumers. In 2024, consumption reached 8.6 kilos per person per year , positioning Chile as the second country with the highest per capita consumption of Hass avocados, second only to Mexico. "This stable and widespread consumption habit is one of the most remarkable characteristics of our market," emphasizes Contardo, highlighting that the growth is due not only to consumer taste but also to a consistent and high-quality domestic supply.

Self-sufficiency and price stability

Domestic market behavior is also reflected in the capacity for self-sufficiency . Under normal conditions, Chile manages to cover its own demand from August until March or April , although in the last season—thanks to exceptional production—it extended even into June , which is unusual. “For this season, we expect similar behavior, with a strong and sustained domestic supply, without a significant need for imported fruit during that period,” the leader explains. However, he warns that “we cannot anticipate the exact duration of the Chilean avocado supply for our domestic market,” due to climatic and commercial variables that can affect availability.

In this context, the withdrawal of Peruvian avocados from the market generates natural adjustments in supply and, consequently, in prices each year. Contardo clarifies that “the price is always regulated according to supply and demand. Today is Chilean avocado season, which is what is being sold in the country. If prices fluctuated during the transition from the Peruvian product, it was something that had to be evaluated at the time, although it usually happens every year.”

This continuity of supply —driven by national production— has allowed Chilean consumers to maintain a constant availability of avocados for most of the year , avoiding sharp price fluctuations and guaranteeing a stable presence in fairs, supermarkets and points of sale.

The strengthening of the domestic market does not, however, imply a loss of international competitiveness. Chile continues to export a considerable volume, mainly to Europe and Latin America , maintaining quality standards that position it as a benchmark in sustainable production. The Avocado Committee itself highlights that more than 95% of its member orchards implement water efficiency and environmental management practices, which reinforces the country's prospects in both domestic consumption and international markets.

Current trends demonstrate that Chile is moving towards a balance between exports and domestic consumption, a structural change that is redefining the dynamics of its fruit industry. “Avocados are part of Chilean food identity and, at the same time, a strategic product for our economy. The challenge lies in maintaining this duality sustainably,” concludes Francisco Contardo Sfeir.