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2023 Peruvian Avocado Exports: New Dynamics and Benchmarks

May 14, 2023

Avocado shipments from Peru accelerated noticeably toward the end of April. In week 17, the industry exported 15,849 metric tons of avocados globally, up 34% from the previous week and 1% from the same week in 2022. With these shipments, Peru’s overall avocado exports for the current season have surpassed 100,000 metric tons, compared with the less than 95,000 metric tons exported during the same period of last year.

The top three destinations for Peruvian avocado exports in week 17 were the Netherlands, Spain and China, which accounted for 36%, 28% and 14%, respectively, of total shipments. Notably, these same countries rank as the top three markets for the entire 2023 campaign.

As previously reported, the Peruvian Hass Avocado Growers Association (ProHass) has decided to concentrate this season’s efforts on export diversification in order to reduce the reliance on trade with European countries. China, one of the season’s focus markets, imported 2,192 metric tons of avocados in week 17, which represents a 15-fold increase from the same week of last year. This surge is primarily attributable to the strict epidemic control measures that China put in place in the spring of 2022: a city-wide lockdown in Shanghai, China’s key market for imported produce, significantly dampened domestic demand and caused massive logistical disruptions that severely affected imports. Meanwhile, exports to the Netherlands and Spain in week 17 amounted to 5,643 and 4,377 metric tons, respectively, corresponding to a 26% decline for the Netherlands and an 18% increase for Spain compared with the same week of 2022.

Last year, the Netherlands and Spain ranked first and third in Peru’s top avocado export destinations, with the United States placing second. The large volume shipped to the United States in 2022 was mostly the result of a reduced supply from Mexico, which strengthened Peru’s presence there. The United States is not yet in the top three for the 2023 campaign because the Peruvian avocado sector only begins its marketing activities in this country in April. Having China among the top importers in the middle of the season, on the other hand, is a positive trend. Peru’s avocado export season normally lasts from January to September.

Recent years have seen a significant rise in avocado exports from Peru. In 2020, Peruvian Hass avocado exports totaled 367,933 metric tons, which increased to 483,017 metric tons in 2021 and 554,498 metric tons in 2022. According to ProHass, exports in 2023 are expected to reach 624,000 metric tons, which would mark a 12.5% increase over 2022 and a 70% increase over 2020.

Image: iStock

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