Avocado production in Mar del Plata: between expectations and challenges
In November, General Pueyrredon celebrated its first avocado harvest at a farm in Batán, planning for future plantings and declaring the activity of productive interest. Agronomist Alejandra Yommi, a researcher at INTA Balcarce, points out that although there are small plantations in northwest and northeast Argentina, commercial avocado production in the region is recent. She notes: “Avocados are produced in other countries with similar climatic conditions to the General Pueyrredon district, for example, in New Zealand, where kiwifruit is grown in rotation with avocados in the kiwifruit-producing area.” Meanwhile, in South America, Chile has a similar experience. “The Valparaíso region, also with a temperate climate, is the district that produces the most avocados.”
The report highlights the importance of developing this production in General Pueyrredon for the regional economy and job creation. However, it warns of climate challenges, indicating the need for frost protection systems and windbreaks to prevent damage to the fruit and shoots. Yommi concludes: "The development potential is unknown; a longer-term evaluation is required."
Highlighting the value of the crop for the region, he emphasizes: "It improves the regional economy and the added value of production (...). In short, it generates wealth."
Yommi details the climatic challenges, mentioning: "The producer must have anti-frost systems due to the frosts that occur in the area during the fall, winter and spring."
