Peru's Camposol projects continued growth in its avocado offering, reaching a forecasted 60,000 tons (MT) by 2017, the company's general manager José Antonio Gómez Bazán informed www.agraria.pe.

As more plants come into maturity and the company begins to buy fruit from smaller producers, Camposol anticipates much greater volume to come.

The company currently holds 2,600 hectares of production area, a third of which are at full capacity. For the remaining two thirds, plants are reaching maturity and improving production capacity.

"There are some plants that are so young, they still are not producing. That is why we aren't considering increasing the number of hectares for the crop," Gómez Bazán told the Peruvian publication.

This year, the company also began to build up avocado stock, including 2,000 MT that it hopes to buy from small and medium producers.

"In 2014, we want to stock up triple of what we get this year and the intent is to continue growing that stock until it matches our own production. In other words, in the future 50% of the total avocado that we export will be from our production and 50% will be from the stock," he said.

Overall, the general manager said Peruvian avocado exports reached 92,000 MT this year, a 22.6% increase from 2012.

"We hope that the FOB (freight on board) price for avocado on international markets is similar to last year, which is to say US$1.50 a kilo, which would equate to US$138 million," he said.

With respect to the U.S. market, competition is expected to be tough. Both California and Mexico expect a peak year for output.

Out 92,000 MT of avocado that Camposol will export from Peru in 2013, 20,000 MT will go to the U.S.

www.freshfruitportal.com