The "It's Avocado Time" event. held on November 23rd 2021 in Milan and promoted by Battaglio and SG Marketing, discussed how, with a thousand new hectares that will start producing in 2022, Piedmont company Battaglio became one of the leading avocado producers in Italy and one of the leading in Europe.
Left to right: Salvo Garipoli (SG Marketing), Luca Battaglio (Battaglio) and journalist Elena Giordano
"There is plenty of room for avocados to grow in our country: per capita consumption is still one third of that in northern Europe or the US. The unmet demand is what spiked our interest and led to a new project with a considerable investment that connects us directly with Colombia," explained president Luca Battaglio.
Luca Battaglio
"Our company Agricola Persea is in fact located over there and covers 1,000 hectares at an altitude between 1,600 and 2,000 meters in the Cauca valley, in central-western Colombia. Together with our local partner C.I. Tropical, we have created a project that enables us to import fruits of excellent quality while supporting the production territory."
A moment during the press conference
The presence of Battaglio in Colombia guarantees a total control of the chain and an extremely efficient logistic system capable of supporting the production and commercialization of the most popular avocado variety in the world - Hass.
In 2021, Battaglio will commercialize around 6000 tons in Italy, with considerable room for growth. "Five years ago, the per capita consumption was 250 grams, now it is 440 grams. We have built a sustainable chain which, unlike what many may think, is a crop that needs very little water to grow."
Italy imports 25,000 tons a year and sales have increased by 67.4% in the last year alone. More generally, the Hass variety will register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% in 2020-2025, confirming itself at the most popular variety in the world.
During the opening, a video by WAO (World Avocado Organization) with the words of president Xavier Equihua illustrated the promotional methods activated on a global level by the association to support sell-in and sell-out, and supplied useful elements to certify the sustainability of this fruit, which boasts levels well below the main agri-food chains (600 to 700 liters/kg against the 2500 liters of water needed for one kg of rice, for example).
For further information
Battaglio
Tredicesima Strada, 1
10040 Rivalta di Torino (TO)
www.battaglio.it