Ecuador has achieved a new milestone in its agricultural export industry with the opening of the Argentine market to Hass avocados. Last Monday, February 24, the executive director of the Agency for Regulation and Control of Plant and Animal Health (Agrocalidad), Patricio Almeida, announced that Ecuadorian producers had made their first shipment to Argentina.

This initial shipment consists of a 24,000-kilo container of Hass avocados from the provinces of Carchi, Imbabura, and Pichincha. The opening of this new market was finalized in October 2024, following intensive negotiations between Ecuadorian and Argentine authorities.

The Vice Minister of Rural Development at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), Marco Oviedo, highlighted the collaboration between the public and private sectors in achieving this milestone. “Our affiliated entities have developed many initiatives to guarantee safe products and expand our export offerings,” he stated. He also emphasized that Ecuador boasts privileged agro-climatic conditions for avocado production, which strengthens its competitiveness in international markets.

For his part, Santiago Pinto, president of the exporting company Interanza, described the opening of the Argentine market as a strategic step forward for the sector. “This is a country with high avocado consumption, and achieving this access in record time is a testament to the joint effort between public and private stakeholders,” he commented. He also highlighted the key role of six producing farms that contributed to the success of the market opening process.

Pinto also highlighted the support of their strategic packaging partner, Durexporta, with whom they have consolidated a robust operation over the past three years, enabling the export of more than three million kilos of avocados to markets such as the Netherlands, Spain, France, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

With over 7,000 hectares cultivated with Hass and Fuerte avocados in the country, Ecuador continues to strengthen its presence in the international trade of this fruit, opening new opportunities for national producers and consolidating itself as a key player in global agricultural exports.