Mission Produce Inc. in Oxnard, CA, has exported the first-ever container of fresh avocados from Peru to China. The load was grown on Mission-owned ranches in Peru, and packed at Mission’s Avocado Packing facility in Chao, Peru.
This first shipment left the port of Paita, Peru, and will arrive at the Chinese port of Shanghai, China, by mid-September. According to Peru’s Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation, known as MINAGRI, significant export volumes are planned to China’s market of 1.4 billion potential consumers.
“China represents an important market for Peruvian avocados, so we welcome the fact that the MINAGRI, through the National Service of Agrarian Health (SENASA), has made efforts necessary to gain entrance for Peruvian fruit,” Simon Gonzalez, general manager of Mission’s Avocado Packing Co., said in a press release.
Peru has large areas dedicated to avocado production along the coast in the region of La Libertad. Mission’s ranches include Arato, near Chao, and Beggie, near Viru, which are part of the total production of approximately 10,000 hectares, 8,000 of which are certified by SENASA.
“We are very pleased with the efforts of everyone involved in Peru to make this happen — from our growers, to packing and logistics, to the Peruvian governmental agencies that helped make this a reality,” Steve Barnard, chief executive officer of Mission, said in the press release.
According to Tommy Padilla, Mission’s Asia sales manager, “It is a big step for China to open the protocol for Peruvian fruit because this gives China a true, year-round supply to complement other avocado sources during the season. Mission is fortunate to have a trusted partner in China that matches our values and philosophy of doing business. They reach the various marketing channels in China including supermarkets, fruit stands, push carts, farmer’s markets and small wet markets in all regions in China, not just the big cities of Beijing and Shanghai.”
In order to meet the challenge of growing the avocado business in China, Mission turned to Lantao and its CEO, John Wang.
“The Lantao team is from mainland China, so we understand the consumer market in China better than anyone in the fruit import business,” Wang in the press release. “Our team came up with a comprehensive plan to reach the various marketing channels including using point-of-purchase materials and an e-commerce platform on WeChat to help educate the consumers on the uses of avocados. Because Lantao is distributing fruit from our seven regional offices, we are doing a great job covering the first tier, second tier and even third tier cities in China.”
Lantao is the largest importer and distributor of premium fresh fruit from around the world into China. Its distribution locations include Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, Herbing, Shenyang and Qingdao.
Mission recently completed construction on new packing facilities in Oxnard, CA, and in Chao, Peru. In addition to California and Peru, the company has operations in Mexico, Chile, Canada and the Netherlands, as well as eight value-added ripe centers across North America. Over the past 30 years, Mission has grown to become a leader in the worldwide avocado industry.
Source: The Produce News