First consignments should land in the US in January, according to Guatemala’s agriculture minister
The first shipments of Guatemalan Hass avocados could arrive in the US market in time for next year’s Super Bowl weekend on 9 February, following the announcement earlier this month that the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-Aphis) had authorised imports after 20 years of negotiations.
Guatemala’s minister of agriculture, Maynor Estrada, said that the first exports could be made as early as January. He reiterated the government’s commitment to its commercial relationship with the US “to guarantee a safe and sustainable trade”.
He said officials are prepared to certify and register farms capable of having a solid, quality export and protecting the plant health of both countries.
According to the Avocado Committee of the Guatemalan Exporters Association (Agexport), Guatemala exported US$16mn of avocados in 2023, an increase of 33 per cent compared to the previous year. Europe, Central America and Canada were the biggest markets.
The main production areas are Chimaltenango Jalapa, Santa Rosa and Las Verapaces, and the peak production season runs from November to March.
