Riverside, Calif.-based Index Fresh is partnering with growers in Colombia to bring hass avocados to the U.S. market.
“The Colombian avocados allow Index Fresh to build on the success that we’ve been developing for over a century,” Giovanni Cavaletto, vice president of sourcing at Index Fresh, said in a news release. “Over the next five years, I believe the exports will grow considerably as more trees come into production.”
Colombia is expected to be a year-round producer of hass avocados in the next few years, according to the news release. The country has traditionally been a large producer and consumer of West Indian avocado varieties, but the release said growers have started planting the hass variety at higher elevations to access export markets.
Avocados from Colombia were approved for shipment to the U.S. in August 2017, according to the release.
“Working with growers in Colombia allows Index Fresh to fulfill our mission of supplying high-quality avocados to valued customers while building our network of grower partnerships,” Cavaletto said in the release.
For Index Fresh, shipments from Colombia are anticipated in two blocks — June-August (traviesa bloom) and November-February (normal bloom). The company, which also sources hass from California, Mexico, Peru and Chile, started building relationships with Colombian growers in 2012, according to the release.
“Our focus has been on learning the needs, challenges, and objectives of the growers and work to match these with those of the market,” Cavaletto said in the release.
