First Air Shipment of Chilean Avocados Arrives in China

The first air shipment of Chilean avocados arrived in China last weekend. The 24 pallets of avocados will be distributed equally to Shanghai and Dalian. According to Ou Hongqing, Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Yuqian Trading Company Ltd., this air shipment of Chilean avocados is mainly for testing the market and will pave the way for subsequent shipping from Chile to China. Sources within the avocado industry say that future avocado exports from Chile to China will mostly be shipped due to the high cost of air freight. These avocados will enter the Chinese market after going through rigorous quarantine inspection to ensure high standards of quality and safety.

Mexico, Chile, and Peru are the three top avocado-producing countries in the world, all of which have now gained access to the Chinese avocado market. The harvest season of Chilean avocados is from August to January and the sale season is from August to April. Fortunately, as the harvest season of Peruvian avocados matches the non-growing season of Mexican and Chilean avocados, exports from the three countries to China will ensure a consistent avocado supply throughout the year, said Cao Xinyue from Yidu Group. She went on to explain that the Chilean avocado has a thinner skin and a smoother taste than the Peruvian avocado. Meanwhile, thanks to the zero-import-duty policy put in place by China, the Chilean avocado enjoys a clear cost advantage compared to the Mexican one.

As quoted by The Produce News, avocados are produced on an alternate-year basis and a heavy crop year is expected for 2015–16 after the light crop year of 2014–15. A total volume of 130,000 tons of Chilean avocado were produced last season with an estimated crop of 195,000 tons this season. According to Karen Brux, Managing Director of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association for North America, China represents a country of great opportunity for Chilean avocados. The Chinese market is very promising and offers excellent prospects due to the strong demand from Chinese consumers for clean, green, and healthy foods. With good marketing and optimum distribution, the Chinese market is expected to grow as more containers of avocados are shipped to China this year.

Image Source: Yidu