CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA – Fresh to the U.S. market and ready to impress, Mission Produce and Colombia-based Cartama have teamed up to bring avocados from Colombia into the United States for the first time ever. Working with grower and exporter Hasspacol, the first shipment is scheduled to arrive early this week in Port Everglades, Florida, making it the first Colombian fruit on U.S. soil.

“Being the first to import Colombian fruit to the U.S. reinforces Mission’s global footprint and leadership in the avocado category,” said Mission Senior Vice President of Global Sourcing Jim Donovan in a recent press release. “It’s crucial for Mission to capitalize on all available sources to serve our growing customer base. Our partnership with Cartama in Colombia has been in the works for a number of years, and when this opportunity finally came to fruition, we were ready.”

The first containers of Colombian avocados destined for the U.S. were loaded onto vessels at the Port of Cartagena on November 2, during a ceremony that included Colombian avocado growers and packers, Colombian Secretary of Agriculture Juan Guillermo Zuluago, Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA) officials, and a special message from the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos.

“ICA is Colombia’s agriculture and food safety authority, and has been instrumental in developing the phytosanitary requirements for export to the U.S.,” said Cartama CEO Ricardo Uribe. “We worked closely with Emilio Arevalo, the Technical Director at ICA, and with APHIS, in assuring that the strict requirements of the export protocol were met and that all future farms adhere to this protocol.”

The fruit for the first arrival was grown by Hasspacol, and packed at Cartama’s facility in Pereira, Colombia, under the Mission and Hasspacol label. “I’m proud to be the first Colombian grower to supply the U.S. market. Proud for my company, my team, and my country,” said Commercial Director of Hasspacol Jose Luis Gonzalez. “We know we have high-quality fruit, and now everyone else will know, too.”

The first shipment sailed on a Hapag Lloyd service November 3, with delivery scheduled today, November 6. Once the shipment clears inspections it will be moved directly to Mission’s Atlanta forward distribution center for further inspection, before being delivered to the final customer.

Mission Vice President of Sales & Marketing Brent Scattini indicated that there is strong interest in Colombian fruit from a retailer perspective. “Since the announcement about Colombia being allowed into the U.S., we’ve had customers asking about it and several wanting to be the first to receive the fruit. We expect volume to build throughout the season as well as in years to come. Having an additional source, another option, is good for our customer base,” he said.

“Our customers expect us to be pioneers in the global avocado supply chain,” added Mission CEO Steve Barnard, affirming the opening of Colombia will have a positive impact on the U.S. market. “Our involvement in Colombia extends Mission’s footprint to yet another country and enhances our ability to serve our customers as this category continues to boom globally.”

Will the Colombian fruit alter the U.S. market for the better? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.

Mission Produce Cartama