This was announced by the managing director of the Colombia Avocado Board, Manuel Michel, who explained the results of promoting Colombian avocados in the world's main avocado-consuming market.

Colombia's avocado industry began exporting to the United States in 2019. A year later, the Colombia Avocado Board (CAB) was created, which is responsible for researching and promoting this Colombian fruit in that country.

“Our intention is to increase the consumption of Colombian avocados here in the United States, making buyers and consumers aware of the product,” Manuel Michel, managing director of the Colombia Avocado Board, told Avobook.

The latter has been a period of growth for the presence of this origin in the world's leading consumer of avocados, which has also strongly focused the work of the CAB, in the two seasons that Colombian production has.

“We have more promotions with retailers during the holiday season and also for next year. We are also working very closely with the industry. All the programs are growing. It is a very exciting time for Colombia, with many opportunities, and we must continue to improve every moment,” says Manuel Michel.

One of the differentiating qualities that is being most exploited in these dissemination campaigns is the country's ability to offer fruit all year round, which allows it to be a safe alternative for retailers when their volumes decrease.

“California and Peru don’t have avocados year-round. That leaves Mexico and Colombia as the only sources that have avocados all year and can supply that volume to the United States. So, it’s very important for us when we’re talking to retailers that they know that during times when Mexico is short, we can be a source that can maintain that volume, so they still have avocados in their stores,” explains the managing director of CAB.

- What actions do they take to fulfill that mission?

“During the first few years, our work focused primarily on public relations, generating articles, and connecting with buyers and retailers. Since last year, we've participated in five trade shows in the United States. We've also increased our contact with retailers. We're starting to organize trips, bringing buyers from the United States to Colombia so they can learn about the industry. The Colombia Avocado Board's mission is to build trust with retailers so they can gain a third-party perspective on the Colombian avocado market and present that information in a neutral way.”

- How does the CAB project the growth of Colombian avocados in the United States market?

“We see that, if things continue as they are, it will continue to grow. There are many reasons. Primarily, the demand for avocados in the United States continues to increase. Consumers are asking for more and more. So, retailers recognize that it's a category that has demand and maintains its value. Just recently, a report came out about per capita consumption and how it varies from country to country. In California, which is the state that knows avocados best, around 12 pounds per capita are consumed annually, while the rest of the country consumes 8 pounds. In my opinion, the reason for that large difference is that they haven't been receiving sufficient volume. As long as the quality is high and the volume is sufficient, there's always the possibility of continuing to increase that per capita consumption.”

- And how have you managed to develop the product so that, in the consumer's experience, they don't feel much difference between Mexican and Colombian avocados?

“We’ve been learning. In the last year, many retailers have mentioned that there are times when Colombian avocados are very similar to Mexican avocados, that they don’t notice a difference, and that’s why they are interested in obtaining avocados from Colombia.”

- What is the opportunity for Colombia in the United States this year? Is it to supplement missing volumes or to offer sizes that Mexico is not supplying?

“Right now, the projection we have at the Colombia Avocado Board is 130 million pounds during the off-season. So, the volume is increasing. It doesn't compare to Mexico, which handled 2.3 billion pounds last year. However, even though Mexico represents 85 percent of the volume at the end of the year, retailers need to have a second, third, or fourth source option they can rely on. Currently, the volumes are still small, and we're focusing more on the area where Colombian avocados arrive most quickly, which is the East Coast, mainly the ports of Philadelphia, where they arrive in five or six days; and Florida, where they can arrive in three or four.”

- Compared to last year's Traviesa, what percentage increase does this projected volume represent?

“ Last year, 55 million pounds were shipped to the United States. Now we expect 130 million pounds. That's a 136% increase.”

- Does this mean that Colombia will begin this season to transfer a significant portion of the volume it hopes to send to Europe to the United States?

“Colombia’s total volume is going to increase this year. But the most important change is that, in percentage terms, more fruit is being sent to the United States. Last year, around 25 percent of the exported volume went to the United States. This year, it is expected that around 50 percent of the volume will be exported to Europe and the other half to the United States.”

- It was expected that this process would be more gradual.

“That’s right. In these first three months of the year, we’ve seen that around 40% of the volume has gone to the United States. Furthermore, the comparison we’re making is that producers and exporters in Colombia are willing to create programs, whether for weeks or even months. So, much of the fruit is already committed, and that’s why it’s easier to commit to a higher percentage of volume if you already know where the fruit will end up.”

- What are the main calibers that Colombia will offer to the United States?

“Now that the season is starting, the main size is 70. But in the full off-season, the main size will be 60. In third place will be 48 and 84. There is still some small fruit. Then there will start to be a little more large fruit. But the predominant sizes will be 60 and 70.”

- Is that because Colombia is producing fruit of that size, or do they see a special opportunity in those sizes because they are not reaching the market?

“That’s what Colombia is mainly producing. In the United States, retailers still prefer larger sizes, 48 or larger. But if they’re not available, then they’re adjusting to what’s available. As we understand it, other origins are also producing smaller sizes, also in the 60 and 70 range.”

- Are you getting good prices for this size of fruit?

“It has been improving. I still hear comments that it's not at market level or on par with what other countries are paid. It's an area where we need to keep improving. The way to improve is by building trust in the origin, being consistent with what you're sending. If there's a big difference in quality, the value goes down. It's also very important to build long-term relationships with buyers. Since most Colombian avocados have been shipped to Europe, strong relationships are being established with buyers in the United States, which have progressed significantly in the last year. Another important issue is building trust with consumers. That's where the Colombia Avocado Board comes in, promoting the origin so that people recognize it as a fruit with value and consistent quality.”

But there's another issue as well: the handling of the fruit once it's received by importers in the United States. Have they already figured out how to handle Colombian avocados, which are produced in the tropics and have different qualities and resistances than those from other origins?

“Yes. We recognize that and we're learning. We have some projects with retailers this year to improve that process so the fruit stays fresh and reaches the consumer at its peak. We're still learning, but we've made a lot of progress. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that Colombian fruit needs to move quickly. If it's stored for too long, it can spoil. That also affects prices.”

- Is the projected volume for the main season similar in behavior to that of the cross-country season?

“It’s too early to make projections. Between July and August, we start to see how much fruit is in the orchards. Then, we see how much demand there is and how the fruit distribution balances. But we’re very optimistic that it will continue to grow. A lot of it also depends on the competition from other countries. Mexico’s volume is low this year, so we don’t know what their next season will be like. If they have a strong season, that will also influence how much Colombian fruit is destined for the United States.”