Although last week the National Tax and Customs Directorate (DIAN) reported that between January and June 2026 Colombia exported 88,194 tons of Hass avocados worth more than US$168 million, the main association of producers of this fruit has just acknowledged that exports have declined.
According to DIAN, the five main destinations were the Netherlands (the leading destination), the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and the United States. Europe accounts for nearly 92% of the value of these exports. Among European markets, growth of 137% in Germany, 70% in the Netherlands, and 54% in Spain stands out, compared with the same period of the previous year.
Production Costs and Revaluation of the Colombian Peso
However, Katheryn Mejia, executive president of the Corporation of Hass Avocado Producers and Exporters of Colombia (CorpoHass), stated that as of September 2026, exports had recorded a 42% decline in volume compared with the same period of the previous year.
The executive explained, during the Global Produce & Floral Show 2026, held in Orlando, Florida, United States, that Colombia’s Hass avocado industry is facing one of its most challenging years, marked by adverse weather conditions, rising production costs, the revaluation of the peso against the dollar, and a lower availability of fruit for export.
In an interview with the Fruticola website, Mejia said that the main factor behind the decline in exports had been the excess rainfall recorded between late 2025 and early 2026, which affected crop flowering and reduced production volumes.
“The increase in production costs and the revaluation of the Colombian peso against the dollar have made operations more difficult for producers and exporters, in a context in which international prices have also posed a commercial challenge,” Mejia continued in the same media outlet, emphasizing that, in addition to climate-related challenges, the industry is also under pressure regarding the profitability of the supply chain.
Colombia’s Domestic Market Gains Importance
However, Mejia told the Fruticola website that, given the lower availability of fruit for export, Colombia’s domestic market has gained greater importance as a commercial alternative. For this reason, the industry association is promoting campaigns to increase consumption in the country, with special emphasis on athletes and on associating the product with healthy lifestyle habits.
According to Mejia, domestic consumption rose from approximately 12,000 tons during the previous year to nearly 20,000 tons by mid-2026. “This growth opens up new marketing opportunities for producers, especially in a context of supply constraints and unfavorable international prices,” she pointed out in the interview.
In addition to the El Niño phenomenon, whose possible effects on the 2027 harvest Hass avocado producers say they are monitoring and considering, they face the industry’s structural challenge of improving productivity per hectare.
Mejia explained that Colombia currently has between 40,000 and 50,000 hectares devoted to Hass avocado cultivation, although there are significant differences in the yields of individual farms. The goal set by the industry association is to reach an average of 15 tons per hectare.
However, “some producers, especially those operating smaller-scale farms, record yields of just five to seven tons per hectare, making their operations less profitable,” she said. For this reason, they are seeking to promote the renewal of planting material and greater use of clonal trees, with the aim of improving crop performance.