U.S authorizes avocado importation from Ecuador

After almost 9 years of negotiations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has authorized importation of avocado from Ecuador into the United States.

The US authorities have recognized that the fruit corresponds to the quality standards and the phytosanitary requirements established by APHIS. Due to this, the avocado production area in Ecuador, which is currently about 6.000 hectares, is expected to grow to 10.000 hectares, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

In five years this area will generate a production of 15 tons per hectare, which would generate an average income of $262 million.

Ecuador grows two varieties of avocado: Hass and Fuerte. The production of Hass avocado is developed on 1.200 hectares in the provinces of Imbabura, Carchi, Pichincha, Bolívar, Tungurahua, Azuay, Loja y Santa Elena. In contrast, the Fuerte variety is cultivated on around 5.000 hectares distributed throughout the country.

According to data from the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries (Mpceip) currently there are 44 open markets for Ecuadorian avocado. 

30 of them are in Europe: Germany, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, among others.

Another 9 are in Asia, being the main importers Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Singapore.

In America there are 2 more: Colombia and Canada; and one in Oceania: New Zealand.

During 2021, the main Ecuadorian avocado destination was Spain with over 600 tons supplied (78.28% of total), followed by Colombia (6.24%) and Hong Kong (5.54%). According to Mpceip, these 3 countries accounted for 90.05% of the total exports of said fruit.