Post by Trade facilitator on Jun 9, 2021 18:07:48 GMT 1
Nigerian Exporters Breaking Into The European Fruit Market With Avocado Pears
The Italian Trade Agency, ITA, has of recent been wooing Nigerian produce exporters to break into the European fruit and vegetable market.
The agency expressed its readiness to build capacity and also to facilitate the process.
The ICE Faculty Trainer, Enrico Turino, said at the occasion that Nigerian produce exporters have opportunities to penetrate the European market with vegetables, gingers, avocados and others.
He said that the European buyers have been sourcing their vegetables and fruits from China but due to the effects of Covid-19, China could not satisfy all their demands.
This is the reason why we are going to look into Avocado farming and export potentials in Nigeria in this article.
The officer said that about two years ago the European importers were looking for a specific variety of avocado but today they are open to ordering new varieties.
What are the potentialities of Avocado in the Nigerian export market?
Nigeria is endowed with huge potential for the production of avocado, but the production is done mostly in the rural areas, especially in the southern part of the country: Ondo, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, etc.
If the avocado’s industrial potential in Nigeria is properly harnessed, it can contribute greatly to the export earnings of the nation.
Only eleven countries control about 80% of the world’s avocado production, and the top countries are as follows according to statista: Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, Brazil, Haiti, Chile, Israel, and China.
It is the most consumed fruit in the United States of America (USA), according to 2020 reports by Statista.
According to their reports and forecasts, the market value of avocados worldwide in 2019 was about 12.8 billion U.S. dollars, and is forecast to rise up to more than 17.9 billion U.S. dollars by 2025.
The market is wide open for Nigerian businessmen and women who are interested in the export business to cash in on this very lucrative business.
In Africa, Kenya leads others in the production and export of avocado; proceeds from the export of avocado accounts for about one-fifths of its annual horticultural exports.
Nigeria has arable lands that can be used for the cultivation of avocado for export and local consumption. Just like apple, we continue to import apple from countries like South Africa for ages, our youth are crying about unemployment while these opportunities are wasting year in year out.
How many varieties of avocado do we have?
The demand for avocado worldwide has reached fever pitch, and this has led to frightening shortages of the fruit.
Though there are over 50 varieties of the green fruit, there are three main types of avocado categorized by their countries of origin: Mexico, Guatemalan, and West India. Also most avocados found around the world fall in the categories of Fuerte and Hass.
Hass avocado is acknowledged all over the world to be one of the best and famous species. The flavour is highly intense and the flesh is extremely creamy for general use. It actually came from Guatemala in the 1930s.
How do you break into the European market from Nigeria?
During summer, the supply of avocados in Europe is usually dominated by Peruvian suppliers of Hass. While in winter, South Africa covers that supply window. European winter is covered by Spain, Chile, Mexico and Israel.
This does not mean that all openings have been taken over, there are still opening all about the place for exporters willing to meet all the conditions required by the importers. Hass has excellent ripening statistics, and they are mostly in demand by retailers and major importers in Europe.
What are the requirements your avocado must meet before they can be allowed into the European market?
Mandatory requirements:
Pesticides residues and contaminants
Pesticides and residues are the most crucial issues to be addressed by fruit and vegetable suppliers to the European market. Your buyer will always list all the conditions relating to this for you in the contract.
Phytosanitary regulations
From 2019, all avocados entering the European market must go through plant health check to confirm that it is free from quarantine pests. The shipment must be accompanied with the Phytosanitary certificate.
You must comply with maturity requirements in your contract.
Size and Packaging
This should not be more than 25kg, but these conditions must be stated in the contract issued to you by the buyer.
You may also be required to present some certifications by buyers to demonstrate good practices and food safety.
If the country harnesses the industry potential of avocado properly, another goldmine in agriculture and agribusiness is in the offing for the country.
We deliberately decided not to include all the wonderful benefits of avocado, which is for another article; we only decided to stress on the export potential of the business.
Stay with us for more of this.
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