Spain’s location at the crossroads of Europe and Africa has made it a leading importer of avocados. Bearing in mind that the country is highly urbanized, there is a ready market for avocado. Around 80% of the citizens live in towns and cities with a majority of them living around the capital, Madrid.
More and more avocados are making their way onto the shelves of retailers in Spain. Consumers in the country are willing to spend money and therefore driving demand for the fruit. Spain is showing a trend of increased avocado consumption in the coming years.
Spain Avocado Imports
Since avocado production in Spain is too low to satisfy demand, imported avocados are found in the domestic market for most part of the year. In 2023, Spain shipped in about 241,000 tonnes of avocado. It is an increase of 19% from the previous year.
Over the past decade, avocado imports in Spain have enjoyed steady growth. The highest jump in volume was recorded from 2014 to 2015 at 230%. The peak volume was in the year 2023 at 240,565 tonnes.
Here is the import volume of avocados in Spain between 2012 and 2023.
Importing Avocados in Spain
Here is a step by step guide on how to import avocados in Spain:
Avocado Supplying Countries to Spain
The avocado import market in Spain is dominated by Peru. Kenya is among the top 10 suppliers. It has gained in market share from exporting avocados worth 2 million US Dollars to reach about 20 million US Dollars. The Spanish avocado market is made up of a diversity of sources.
The other key avocado supplying countries to Spain are:
- Mexico
- Chile
- Colombia
- Morocco
- The Netherlands
It also imports avocado in small volumes from countries like:
- South Africa
- Brazil
- Portugal
Spain brings avocado from abroad through its main airport. Avocados get into the country as air freight by way of the Madrid Airport. The airport has a cargo terminal and cold storage rooms to keep avocados fresh as they were when harvested.
The other way avocados enter Spain is through its main commercial sea port. Avocados get into the country as sea freight by way of the Port of Valencia. The sea port has a modern container terminal.
How to Know Reliable Avocado Suppliers in Spain
Avocado importers in Spain 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 Spain:
- 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 Spain
| COUNTRY | AIR FREIGHT | SEA FREIGHT |
| Kenya | 8 hours 10 minutes | 21 days |
| Peru | 12 hours | 29 days |
| Mexico | 11 hours 45 minutes | 26 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.