Next Sunday, February 7th, The Big Game will take place. During this sporting event, that it is expected to be seen by millions of viewers from around the world, Americans will consume 43 tons of Colombian Hass avocado, which arrived in the last weeks for the game between Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

We continue to expand the borders for Colombian agricultural products. On this occasion, the Hass avocado produced by 4,000 national farmers will be the protagonist in The Big Game, as it has been in recent years. Millions of Americans will consume this product which, according to figures, increased the value of exports by 41% in 2020” said the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Rodolfo Zea Navarro.

The Colombian Hass avocado is an agribusiness that rapidly grows by the number of cultivated hectares, today we have about 25,000 hectares, due to the excellent production, for the generation of direct and indirect employment and for its commercialization at a national and international level. The Ministry of Agriculture, the ICA, and Corpohass are working together in the field to protect the quality and health of this product step by step” said Deyanira Barrero, the general manager of the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA).

The ICA manager added that “it has become regular for the Colombian Hass avocado to be present in The Big Game, a sporting event that registers an audience of more than 110 million viewers worldwide. In recent years, the Colombian Hass avocado has been gaining ground and, this year, there are more than 43 tons of quality, flavor and phytosanitary condition certified by the ICA, which will be tasted by American palates”.

Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia, assured that “The availability of Hass avocado in Colombia is practically all year round, which positions our country as one of the most attractive and competitive suppliers for the world. In addition, the Colombian offer is characterized by its high quality and because it has environmental and social certifications, such as the

Rainforest Alliance, which in the last year increased 315%. The sum of these factors boosted international demand for Colombian avocado, especially in markets such as the United States and Europe, where we have tariff advantages due to current trade agreements that benefit both producers and buyers”.

The Colombian Hass avocado already registers astronomical figures; According to the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), 67,071 tons and US $ 125.9 million were exported in 2020, which represented an increase of 50% and 41% compared to 2019 (44,570 tons and US $ 89 million. Avocado exports hass 2019) to different destinations.

In addition, the Colombian Hass avocado achieved admissibility in recent years to countries such as China and Japan, markets with high demand of the fruit and which joins 32 other destinations, including the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. United States and France, which complete the top five of the territories to which Hass avocado are most exported.

Finally, Minister Zea Navarro added that with the ‘Sanitary Diplomacy’ strategy, together with MinComercio, ProColombia, ICA and other entities, they will continue to expand and conquer markets for Hass avocado and other Colombian agricultural products.

Figures of the Hass avocado chain in Colombia:

- It is estimated that there are more than 4,000 Hass avocado producers in Colombia.

- In Colombia, the planted areas with Hass avocado is equivalent to 26,045 hectares and the production is of 155,310 tons.

- Antioquia, Tolima, Caldas, Quindío and Valle del Cauca are the departments with the largest crops and production of Hass avocado in Colombia.

- Currently in the export farm registry that is headed by the ICA, it has 2,200 farms that represent 17,300 hectares, of which 300 farms are in an export program.