The Hass avocado is the fruit of national production that becomes one of the fundamental ones in exports since the world is demanding more and more of it. Colombia plays a fundamental role since the latest measurements show it as the fifth largest producer of this variety.

According to the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture, the area planted with avocado in Colombia is 28,000 hectares, with an annual production of 250,000 tons. The Hass variety adds up to 10,500 hectares and 47,000 thousand tons, 38% of the total production.

For its export, a series of basic conditions are necessary, making it clear that in Colombia, merchants under the figure of a natural person under the simplified regime may have authorization and taxation complications at the time of configuring their registration as a merchant before the ports, police anti-narcotics, customs, sanitary and/or phytosanitary authorities, which is why it is necessary that the following steps are applicable to entities with legal status that act within the common regime.

The first thing that is needed to export Hass avocado from Colombia is to have a buyer who is willing to comply with the negotiation conditions according to the cash flow of his business unit, which fits with the operational/productive conditions of the value chain. and that there is compliance with the technical profile of the purchase requirement (% dry matter, % oil and pounds of pressure). The next thing to be assured of a purchase option would be to have the fruit production properties. Said properties must previously comply with the requirements according to resolution No. 00000448 of 01/21/2016 of the Colombian Agricultural Institute – ICA, where the conditions of compliance are specified so that said property is registered with the ICA as an “exporting property”. ” and that later said property can be registered in the SISPAP system that allows it to be available at the time of requesting the export. The foregoing will require that the farm have a registered professional who can be registered in the same system as responsible for technical assistance.

What is contemplated in the aforementioned resolution, contemplates operational and infrastructure conditions such as:

• Submit quarterly phytosanitary reports, phenological states of the crop, reports on production volumes and pest monitoring in the duly signed formats that are defined.
• Respond for the implementation of the “Phytosanitary management plans for official control pests” prepared by the ICA according to the species or species registered on the property.
• Record of technical assistant visit records, with observations and recommendations, dated and signed *.
• Record of records of work carried out in the crop, dated and signed.
• Fruit fly monitoring log, dated and signed
• Staff training record.
• Reports of fruit for export: phytosanitary certificate signed by the A.T., for farms with registration.
• Lots or clearly defined areas, intended for the commercial technical production of the different species and varieties.
• Temporary storage area for the harvested product.
• Crop residue management area.
• Area for the storage of agricultural inputs.
• Dosing area and preparation of agricultural inputs.
• Storage area for work equipment, utensils and tools.
• Sanitary unit and sink system.

Once the property that meets the conditions is available, the exporter must have his assignment of resolution as “Exporter of fresh fruits” which is contemplated in the same resolution in chapters III and IV in addition to RESOLUTION No. 001806 ( 7 SET. 2004) of the same entity.

From the operational and customs point of view, the development of said export should not be outside the scheme established by DIAN in its Decree 1165 of 2019 articles 343, 346-363. To make it more visible, a diagram is presented below that shows the operation according to the provisions of Resolution 344 of June 21, 2011 of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, which created the figure of “authorized exporter”.

Author: Juan Sebastian Quiceno Calderon