Avocado Opportunity? Brazil Exports Making Serious Inroads Across Europe

Brazil’s avocado sector is growing quickly, as growers see increased demand from local buyers and international markets like the Netherlands and Argentina.

In 2023, Brazil saw its avocado exports more than double to 1,090 containers, according to data compiled by Avobook. That’s more than five times the country’s 2013 export volume.

In March, Brazil saw its 2024 export campaign spike with substantial volume destined for Europe. That month alone, Brazil sent 5,011 tons of avocados to the Netherlands. The destination received 40% of Brazil’s avocado shipments during the first three months of the year, Avobook reports. As of week 14, Brazil had supplied almost 8% of the European market.

Avocado crop acreage in Brazil grew 86% over a decade to 7,753 hectares, the nation’s Ministry of Agriculture indicates. That crop includes a mix of Hass, Breda, Fortuna and Quintal. While Hass has seen notable international demand, varieties like Quintal enjoy strong local demand in Brazil.

In 2022, Brazil produced about more than 338,000 tons of avocado with São Paulo supplying almost 50% of the total. That year the state also supplied 90% of Brazil’s exports, approximately 784 containers.

The state of São Paulo leads avocado production in Brazil, with numbers that are growing significantly, Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture reports. In 2023, the state produced 192,000 tons of avocado, almost 50% of the national crop. The value represented an 8.54% increase over the previous year.

After the Netherlands, Brazil’s second largest export market is Argentina. From January to October 2023, Argentina received 31.5% of Brazil’s avocado exports, translating to more than 9,700 tons, according to the Ministry of Foreign Trade (Secex). So far this year, Argentina represents a quarter of Brazil’s export campaign, Avobook reports.

The country ranks as the world’s seventh largest avocado producer, positioned between Indonesia and Vietnam, according to United Nations data.

Source: Produce Business UK

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