Colombia's avocado industry has assessed conditions following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on August 10, centered near San Jose del Palmar in Chocó department. After contacting exporters and growers across affected regions, the Colombia Avocado Board reports that orchards, packing facilities, and transportation routes remain operational. "CAB's assessment indicates that Colombia's Hass avocado industry remains capable of supplying the U.S. market during the upcoming season without any expected changes," said Manuel Michel, CAB Managing Director. "Although the industry's infrastructure was spared, we understand that some employees, their families and their communities have experienced personal losses and the industry is supporting them."

Regional Impacts The earthquake caused significant damage to older buildings in cities including Pereira, Cali, Quibdó, Armenia, and Manizales across coffee- and avocado-producing departments of Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca. Landslides temporarily blocked roads in avocado-producing areas, but major routes have been cleared and smaller roads are expected to return to normal operations shortly. Antioquia, Colombia's largest avocado-producing department, reported little to no disruption to operations.

Harvest Timeline Intact Colombia's main-season harvest began in August and is expected to build gradually toward October and November, with peak harvest anticipated around January. Sergio Plata, country manager for Baika Fruits, stated: "We did not experience significant damage to our operations in the departments of Quindío and Caldas or at our packing facility in Antioquia. Our employees are safe, and we are actively supporting affected communities in their recovery efforts. Our main-season harvest began in August, and we expect to have fruit available for shipment to the United States beginning around week 38." Ricardo Mejia, general manager of Fruty Green, added: "We began harvesting during week 33, and the main-season crop is showing encouraging quality and volume. El Niño and the possibility of below-normal rainfall remain a concern, but growers are preparing and taking the steps available to manage those conditions."

Industry Support Efforts While physical infrastructure largely avoided damage, the full extent of personal losses is still being assessed. Industry support efforts are being coordinated with Corpohass, Colombia's association of Hass avocado growers and exporters. Those interested in contributing may contact Katheryn Mejia, executive director of Corpohass at presidencia@corpohass.com.

Why It Matters

With Colombia ranking among the top global avocado suppliers to the U.S. market, confirmation that production and logistics remain uninterrupted provides stability for retailers and foodservice operators planning their sourcing through the critical fall and winter seasons.

For more insights and trends in the food and beverage sector, check out more articles in The Food & Beverage Magazine family of publications.

Written by FBM Publications Editors