“Brazilian avocados have already managed to consolidate a loyal clientele”

This is according to Cecilia Whately, vice president of the Brazilian Avocado Producers Association, who details the work aimed at consolidating their position as suppliers in Europe and opening new markets such as Chile, Argentina, Japan, and India.

Brazil is making inroads into the global avocado market, focusing on Europe but also keeping an eye on its South American neighbors. Among them is Chile, which has a highly developed industry but is finding opportunities during periods of low production, in a context of very high domestic consumption.

In an interview with AvoMagazine, Cecilia Whately, vice president of the Brazilian Avocado Producers Association, details how the 2024 season concluded, which was not without the same logistical challenges faced by other exporting countries shipping to Europe. At the same time, the association is aware that significant opportunities can be generated by promoting consumption within Brazil itself.

Asia is also included in the 2025 plan, where this origin hopes to consolidate its numbers and gain important ground.

- How did the export industry close the year 2024 in terms of volumes and sizes?

“The 2024 campaign was distributed in all open markets and already has a loyal clientele. As we have a large volume of young production, the sizes tend to be larger. However, due to the extreme heat in some regions, the volume of smaller sizes has increased, mainly supplying Argentine consumers.”

- What is the current state of your exports and what are the volume and size projections for 2025?

“This year, the regions of São Paulo and Paraná experienced a harvest drop of more than 50% due to adverse weather conditions during the flowering period. However, the state of Minas Gerais had no problems and should have a larger harvest than last year. We believe that this year's volume should remain similar to that of 2024, shipping around 1,000 containers. The sizes should continue to be large and medium. In the regions where there has been a drop in production, the fruit will tend to grow larger.”

- How are you addressing the logistical challenges of exporting avocados to Europe? Are improvements needed to sustain shipments?

“Last year, we faced significant congestion at the port of Santos. Another challenge was obtaining Gen Set equipment, as there is stiff competition from major meat exporters who also require this equipment for cold chain monitoring in their containers. Unfortunately, improvements depend on government and corporate actions that are beyond our control as producers and exporters.”

- And how are you dealing with them to meet the on-time and quality delivery requirements?

“What we do is have better management of our boarding schedule, to make reservations in advance.”

- In a previous interview with Avobook, you mentioned plans to enter two nearby markets: Chile and Argentina. What is the current status of these efforts?

“We are already well established in the Argentine market, and this year we will begin exporting to the Chilean market. Producers and exporters registered under the protocol developed by government agencies are already negotiating trade agreements with Chilean importers.”

- Are there plans to expand into markets other than Europe, Chile, and Argentina?

“Yes. We already have the Indian and Japanese markets open and we are working to open the North American market.”

- Has there been an increase in Hass avocado consumption in the Brazilian domestic market, considering that it is not a traditional variety in the local diet?

“The Brazilian Avocado Producers and Exporters Association is investing in marketing to encourage consumption of the fruit in Brazil, both Hass and tropical varieties, which are excellent for all kinds of recipes. In fact, there has been an increase in consumption of the Hass variety due to greater availability in the markets of large and medium-sized Brazilian cities, as a result of increased production.”