Peruvian growers have warned that the quality of Hass avocados destined for export may be compromised this year. 

Today, almost 50 percent of the existing Hass avocado production area in Peru is at risk, said Juan Carlos Paredes, President of the Peruvian Hass Avocado Growers’ Association (ProHass), according to a report by Gestion.

If fertilizer is not used on trees, avocados which are destined for export in the 2023 season will arrive at their destinations with ripening issues. 

Paredes pointed out that these problems are “not evident at harvest, but in the quality of the internal part of the fruit”, warning that as a result, “this situation could mean that Peru loses markets.”

Although large-scale farmers can find different alternatives to stay afloat, “in total there are 50,000 hectares of this fruit, but 23,000 belong to 7,500 small-scale farmers. For them, the impact of fertilizer shortages is worrying,” Paredes explained.

Moreover, in the last seven years, Peruvian Hass avocado exports have increased by 15 percent. This year, however, exports are expected to go up by just 5%. 

“We calculate that we will reach some 510,000 tons of exports,” stated Paredes, taking into consideration the current political situation, as well as the ongoing logistics crisis.

The need to buy fertilizer is therefore becoming more and more urgent, in order to safeguard Peruvian agricultural production.