Slovenia is emerging as one of the best-performing new markets for avocados in the southern European region. This has been fueled by the high urbanization rate in the country. More than half of the population lives in big towns and cities with much of it concentrated in the capital, Ljubljana.
The avocado is becoming a popular fruit in Slovenia due to an improving health awareness among consumers. More urban dwellers in the country are now conscious about maintaining a healthy diet by including avocado. This is a clear sign that avocado consumption in Slovenia is set to rise in the coming years.
Slovenia Avocado Imports
Seeing as there is no avocado production in Slovenia, avocado imports flood the domestic market for most part of the year. In 2023, Slovenia shipped in nearly 5,100 tonnes of avocado. It is an increase of 5% from the previous year.
Basically, in the last 10 years, avocado imports in Slovenia have enjoyed strong growth. The highest jump in volume was recorded from 2016 to 2017 at over 500%. The peak volume was in the year 2017 at 26,123 tonnes.
Here is the import volume of avocados in Slovenia between 2012 and 2023.
Importing Avocados in Slovenia
Here is a step by step guide on how to import avocados in Slovenia:
Avocado Supplying Countries to Slovenia
The avocado import market in Slovenia is dominated by Israel. Kenya is among the top 10 suppliers. It has gained in market share from exporting avocados worth 27,000 US Dollars to reach almost 300,000 US Dollars. The Slovenian avocado market is made up of a diversity of sources.
The other key avocado exporting countries to Slovenia are:
- Germany
- Austria
- Spain
- Peru
- South Africa
It also imports avocado in small volumes from countries like:
- Italy
- Mexico
- Chile
Slovenia brings avocado from abroad through its main airport. Avocados get into the country as air freight by way of the Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport. The airport has a cargo terminal and cold storage rooms that keep avocados fresh as they were when harvested.
The other way avocados enter Slovenia is through its main commercial sea port. Avocados get into the country as sea freight by way of the Port of Koper. The sea port has a modern container terminal.
How to Know Reliable Avocado Suppliers in Slovenia
Avocado importers in Slovenia must present the following documents for their shipment to be released by the customs office:
- Import permit
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Bill of Lading or Airway Bill
- Phytosanitary Certificate
- Certificate of Origin
Sourcing Avocados from Kenya
Here are some advantages Kenya has in supplying avocados to Slovenia:
- It has a longer season that lasts from February to October.
- Production costs are low therefore avocados from Kenya are competitively priced.
- Most of Kenya is covered by a sub-tropical climate which ensures consistency of quality and supply.
Average Transit Time of Importing Avocados in Slovenia
| COUNTRY | AIR FREIGHT | SEA FREIGHT |
| Kenya | 7 hours 35 minutes | 20 days |
| Peru | 14 hours 15 minutes | |
| South Africa | 14 hours | 28 days |
Here is a top avocado exporter in Kenya.
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 proud exporter of Kenyan 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.