Costa Rica News – With Costa Rica’s recent suspension of avocado imports from numerous origins, one trade group is reportedly warning the supply situation could be about to get very serious.
The Costa Rican Phytosanitary Service (SFE) last week blocked imports from Australia, Spain, Ghana, Guatemala, Israel, Mexico, South Africa, Venezuela, and the U.S. state of Florida, citing concerns over avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBVd) entering the country.
Website Insidecostarica.com reported the The Chamber of Importers of Perishable Products had said the supply had already begun dwindling and claimed it could even run dry within two weeks.
The Central American country is said to typically import more than 80%, or 70,000 metric tons (MT), of the avocados consumed nationally, with Mexico being the country’s primary supplier.
The story added importers were considering alternative sourcing locations, including Peru and Nicaragua, but warned shipments from Peru could take 24 days to reach Costa Rican shores.
Another publication, Theticotimes.com reported that the manager of grower cooperative APACO, Carlos Gamboa, expected local prices for avocados to jump as high as 25% as importers looked to more distant sources like Chile, Peru or California to meet demand.
Unlike the The Chamber of Importers, Gamboa did not anticipate it would take long for supply to be replaced, given the high demand in the country.
