Avocado. Going strong
Israeli avocado takes Europe
Wall Street Journal praises Agrexco company, says its avocado exports total one-third of amount of fruit in Europe. This season's exports expected to increase by more than 50%
Israel's
avocado controls Europe: The pear-shaped green fruit's sales have totaled reach one-third of all the fruit sold in the continent, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article dedicated to Agrexco. The Israeli company was defined by the leading American newspaper as the biggest Israeli exporter of fresh agricultural produce of high quality.
According to the paper, 2009 saw a 12% rise Agrexco's sales turnover and the company leads Israel's agricultural exports this year. Last year, the company exported agricultural produce under the Carmel brand for about € 492 million (about $663 million).
Agrexco CEO Shlomo Tirosh told the paper that Israel markets 390,000 tons of fresh agricultural produce to countries all over the world, with avocado taking the first place.
According to the Tirosh, there is no other product with such an outstanding presence from one single exporter. This season, the fruit's exports are expected to reach 36,000 tons compared to 22,000 last year – an increase of more than 50%.
Pepper came in second with about 36,000 tons, in spite of the difficult winter in the Arava region. It was followed by organic tomatoes and conventional ones, mainly cherry tomatoes.
Green herbs have also had a strong presence – particularly basil, chives and mint. Despite the competition from Egypt, Morocco and Spain, the Israeli herbs' popularity is stable thanks to their high quality. In addition, the sales of Israel's melons have risen by 50% after years of decline.
The article reveals that Israel has a real advantage when it comes to organic products. Agrexco began specializing in the organic field 25 years ago, providing all its organic products with a good reputation and advantage over other countries. Tirosh estimates that the company's annual sales turnover will see a 3% rise in 2010.
