ORLANDO, FL - Avocados continue to grow in popularity—the facts prove it. The Colombia Avocado Board (CAB) recently announced a 270 percent increase in total avocado pounds shipped to the United States for the 2021–2022 season. With numbers like these, there’s always a cause for celebration.

“We’re incredibly proud of the growth we’ve seen over the past few years. We continue to meet with industry buyers to examine ways to highlight opportunities within the growing avocado category as Colombian exports rise,” William Watson, Managing Director of CAB, remarked. “Our ability to move toward a consistent supply and ability to ship direct to both U.S. coasts is a positive logistics solution, now paired with our consistent quality, which is on par with current market suppliers—and Colombia Avocados are proving to be a valuable asset to category buyers.”

This data is provided by the Hass Avocado Board (HAB), which tracks shipments and sales of Hass avocados from all growing regions. HAB and other member associations, including CAB, have collectively spent hundreds of millions of dollars promoting avocados in the U.S. in the last decade. The heavy promotions have led to year-over-year growth and Colombian growers have successfully met that rise in demand with nearly 300 avocado orchards across more than 9,400 hectares, completing the necessary certifications to ship product to the U.S.

Colombia has produced and distributed avocados for decades, however, the growth and popularity of Colombia avocados have expanded due to access to the U.S. market starting in 2018 along with expanding the country's infrastructure improvements. The 2021–2022 season ended with its largest shipment totals on record shipping over 24 million pounds.

“We’ve never underestimated the power of the U.S. market, and we are so happy to expand our volume to meet the growing demand while also offering the value of Colombia’s proximity to ocean ports providing valuable freight advantages,” commented Ricardo Uribe, Chairman of CAB. “The American consumer’s appetite for avocados continues to grow, leading U.S. businesses to seek reliable, year-round solutions, and we’re proud to be able to provide that for them.”

According to the release, Colombia is a global avocado exporter with unique advantages thanks to a growing region with reliable rainfall and direct worldwide distribution. CAB has been vital to the success of its grower and importer partners as it teams up with global competition for maximum reach, which has proven successful for everyone involved.

For facts and updates in our expanding industry, keep an eye out for ANUK.

Colombia Avocado Board