Earlier this week the new Colombian avocado harvest season started. “Volumes for the Travisa crop will pick up next week and continue through August,” says Craig Loomis of Greenfruit Avocados. “It’s very exciting to see how much volume will be added this year compared to the last few years,” says Loomis. Although the volume of the crop is very large, the fruit is small at this time of year. “We are seeing a lot of fruit that are size 60 or smaller. This is because the trees are still young and as a result they set smaller fruit. Also, it is common for fruit to be smaller early in the season. As That said, as the season progresses, the fruits will increase in size. By the end of July, we’ll see more 48″ fruits.
Greenfruit is excited to introduce Colombian avocados to the US and Canadian markets, as Colombia is a relatively new origin. “We started shipping in the US two years ago, but last year was our first year in Canada.” With more retailers and catering companies accepting Colombian avocados, incredible opportunities are emerging. “Social media has helped raise awareness of the health benefits of avocados and the versatility of this fruit. Consumption is expected to increase as a result.”
Ecological certification
Although most of Greenfruit Colombia’s avocados are from conventional farming, the company is also working with organic avocados for the first time. The company received organic certification for its 485 hectares of plantations in Colombia last November. “Green products present a great opportunity in both the US and Canada, as retailers are excited to offer organic products as another option,” says Loomis. As Greenfruit’s orchards received organic certification six months ago, more organic fruits will start arriving in the years to come.
In addition to organic volumes, the availability of conventional avocados will also continue to grow. As the trees mature, the amount of their produce will increase. By 2024, Greenfruit expects to double the amount of conventional and organic fruit from Colombia compared to this year’s level. By then the country would be able to get supplies for 11 months of the year.
The current harvest was slightly delayed due to problems with the amount of rain. “However, the rains prepared this new crop very well, which will last until August.” Apart from this, rains have also created good prospects for the crop which starts in October and will run till 2024.
