Chilean Hass avocado production is expected to double year on year over the next five to six years. The forecast comes from globally renowned consultant on the avocado business, Ali Khas of AK Fresh.
Khas has been instrumental in securing Chilean senders a place on the UK market and the source is fast becoming a vital part of the supply calendar.
Fruit is grown some 10-200km north of Santiago towards the coast. "The Chilean style of growing, with south-west facing plantations on the mountains and some of the best drainage, means they are able to produce the best Hass," said Khas.
"The Chileans started planting very heavily in 1993 mainly for the US market, but the product first came into the UK in 1995-96," he said. "The season starts in June or July and prices for Chilean avocados in the US are so high that exporters do not send to the EU at that time." The oil content is also not as high as favoured in European markets.
Khas also explains that South Africa has a strong presence on the European market at the same time. "If you look back 15-20 years ago Hass supplies into the UK were a bit hit and miss," said Khas. "Spain was growing Hass for France and Germany, but then the UK started to tap into it. Spain did not produce enough to meet all the growing demand. So Israel changed to grow Hass to complement Spanish availability, producing from December to March, with Spain from December to July. And South Africa grafted a lot of Hass onto existing trees to produce from late June to October. This has always left a gap from October to December."
Khas has long argued against trying to force Spanish and Israseli product on early as the result is a fruit that is too watery in eating quality for the high-oil-content preference of the UK and other European markets. "That has made an opportunity for Chile," said Khas, pointing out the shipping time advantage the source has over New Zealand which has the same growing season. "The only other gap is in April-June and I have been trying to push Peru to come in then. But if they don't push fruit hard enough, they come onto the market in May-July and clash with South Africa." Fruit is also available from Kenya in the same time frame.
Chile delivers increasing volumes of fruit directly into the UK and last season Customs & Excise figures recorded 1,934 tonnes were received directly.
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