The dominance of avocados in international markets can’t be understated. Globally, avocados worth about 10 billion US Dollars were imported in the year 2021 according to the UN Comtrade. It is an increase of 11% from the previous year. Therefore, the avocado trade is set to continue rising.
Ethiopia is adding avocados to its export portfolio. Since 2015, the country’s presence in markets abroad has grown rapidly. From only 6 tonnes to almost 300 tonnes in a span of seven years. Equally, the number of countries that import avocados from Ethiopia is going up.
Avocado Ethiopia
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the fastest growing market for Ethiopian avocados. In 2023, the UAE shipped in 24 tonnes. This is a reduction from the previous year which was 47 tonnes. In nine years, Ethiopian avocado supply to the UAE has seen notable gains from 60kg in the year 2013.
Avocados from Ethiopia are selling well in the UAE. In the last nine years, their import value has shot up. Ethiopian avocado exports to the UAE were worth 60 US Dollars in 2013 and reached 71,950 US Dollars in 2023.
The more Ethiopia ships out avocado to the UAE, the higher it gets from export earnings. The sharpest climb was from 2017 to 2018 when the import value rose from 610 US Dollars to 12,410 US Dollars. The highest value was in the year 2021 when it was around 86,000 US Dollars.
Ethiopia Avocado
Saudi Arabia is the other emerging destination for Ethiopian avocados. In 2023, Saudi Arabia shipped in 24 tonnes. It is an increase of 53% from the previous year. In five years, Ethiopian avocado supply to Saudi Arabia has recorded steady gains from 14 tonnes in the year 2017.
Avocados from Ethiopia are selling well in Saudi Arabia. In the last five years, their import value has risen significantly. Ethiopian avocado exports to Saudi Arabia were worth 31,200 US Dollars in 2017 and reached 73,280 US Dollars in 2023.
The more Ethiopia ships out avocado to Saudi Arabia, the higher it gets from export earnings. The sharpest climb was from 2019 to 2020 when the import value rose from 3,230 US Dollars to 42,380 US Dollars. The peak value was in the year 2023 when it was around 1.5 million US Dollars.
Ethiopia Avocado Export
Ethiopia is generating good profits from selling avocados to foreign markets. Over the last seven years, their import value has surged from 13,190 US Dollars in 2015 to about 1.5 million US Dollars in 2023. Recently, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait are some of the countries that have gotten a taste for Ethiopian avocados.
Evidently, consumers in Europe and the Middle East are ready to welcome more avocados from Ethiopia. Considering that many of them are making healthier eating choices, the avocado is among their preferred foods. Moreover, unfavorable climate in these regions for avocado farming has led them to rely heavily on imported avocados. This is why Ethiopia is taking advantage of its ideal climate to ramp up avocado production.
Here is a top foreign exporter of Ethiopia avocado
Freshela Exporters
Freshela is a Kenyan based company that engages in the sourcing, processing and exporting of avocados and other fresh produce.
Freshela is a leading exporter of avocados. We source avocados from our company farm and partner farms.
We give competitive pricing to our customers and guarantee reliable delivery time.
We use a modern grading machine to achieve desired avocado weight. The fruit is also graded to eliminate any with physical quality defects.
We pack avocado fruit for both air and sea freights. All of our avocado packing is approved by FDA and is certified by HACCP Quality Assurance.