Chilean Hass avocado exports to the UK are set to break records this year, says Chilean Hass Avocado Association president Adolfo Ochagavía.
Shipments of Chilean Hass avocados will continue well into February this year and will hit the 8,000-tonne mark, breaking the 2006-07 season record of 7,500t.
Ochagavía told freshinfo at Fruit Logistica: “The high volume is due to a mix of factors; of course, the large volumes available and the promotional campaign in the UK.
“Working with [Peruvian avocado promotional body] ProHass has helped as our seasons run at different times and this keeps avocados in the consumers’ minds. It is like running a marathon - it takes time and it is a long race. We are working at upping consumption of avocados in the UK.”
Chile will be the largest supplier of avocados to Europe this season, sending an approximate 50,000t over the period, according to Ochagavía. “The quality of the fruit is very good,” he added. “We have had a regular harvest with no climatic surprises. We had a few small frosts in specific areas at the beginning of the season, but only small areas of production experienced problems and, in general, the harvest didn’t suffer.”
The Chilean Hass Avocado Association will again target London chef colleges this year as part of their promotional campaign in an attempt to educate future chefs about using avocados in restaurants.
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