The country is described as an “exciting cultivation region” for the company
Avocado leader Westfalia Fruit Group has announced the start of its Colombian Hass avocado season with supply available now through late spring of 2023.
Westfalia said that it had realised the ”exciting potential” to bring a sustainable, quality avocado from Colombia to other parts of the world, and had been ”committed to bringing this vision to life”.
”Westfalia has played a significant role in developing the Colombian avocado market since the company planted its first avocado orchards in 2015,” the group noted.
Colombia has an ideal climate that receives adequate rainfall – so much so that irrigation or additional water intake outside of the regional precipitation is not required, Westfalia explained.
“The nurturing growing conditions, steep terrain, and beautiful soils are what make growing in Colombia so unique,” said Duncan Smith, technical manager at Westfalia Fruit. ”The naturally vigorous growth and good bearing ability of the trees is promoted by the excellent growing conditions and good rains each year.”
The company’s Colombian operation includes state-of-the-art packhouses and storage facilities as it aims for consistent supply and product quality throughout the Colombian season, from May through late spring the following year.
Westfalia said that it had has implemented ”robust” environmental, food safety and quality systems to continuously monitor, protect and preserve the supply chain and natural resources in Westfalia’s cultivation area, including soil, forests, and water.
The company grows Hass avocados in the Sonsón region of Colombia using clonal rootstock technology, and Westfalia predicted that there would be an increased utilisation of clonal planting which meant ”a very bright future” for Colombian avocados.
“Colombia is an exciting cultivation region for Westfalia,” said David Fausset, business development director. “We have created a world class integrated supply chain and we are thrilled to offer this quality fruit programme as a commercial advantage to our customers.”
