Avocado sector of Guatemala seeks to achieve the access to the U.S. market

The international demand for avocado represents an opportunity for Guatemalan producers and exporters.

During the first National Avocado Congress, which took place last week, discussed the efforts made by the Avocado Committee of the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport) to promote the sector. One of the subjects was the admissibility process for the US, which will open doors to other markets.

According to Marco Quilo, the president of Congress, Guatemala barely produces 25% of the total capacity, and that is why they seek to increase production, in order to enter foreign markets. Especially to the US, the main importer of this fruit, which in turn has its phytosanitary requirements that must be met.

Worth mentioning that it took several years for Mexico and Colombia to achieve admissibility in the U.S.

Jorge Mario Gómez, from the Directorate of Plant Health, of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), explained that in Guatemala there is being carried out an inventory of pests in avocado. Once they have the information they can do the management in any country. By June they plan to submit the application to the U.S. authorities.

According to Mario Yarzebski, Marketing Manager of Highland Fresh Foods and Palo Blanco SA, the disadvantage of Guatemala is that it is out of markets such as South Korea, Japan, and China, countries that prefer Mexican and Guatemalan avocados versus Colombian and a Peruvian. It is not only a tariff issue, but also the phytosanitary protocols for those markets.

Yarzebski believes that with political and technical will, in a year and a half, Guatemala can achieve the admissibility of the U.S. Afterwards, they will be able to replicate and homologate that agreement with other countries.