The main goal of the Chinese population is no longer to be successful at work, but to live a longer and healthier life. And fruit plays such a fundamental role there that even Alibaba’s founder got into the food business. And if there’s one fruit that’s causing a sensation on half the planet, it’s the avocado. In China, they do not want to miss this trend and have actually been demanding thousands of tons of avocados for years.

Now they will have more to satisfy their appetite.

Changing priorities. Like other societies, China has a demographic problem: fewer and fewer children are being born and the population is aging. According to some studies, this factor, added to the re-evaluation of priorities after the COVID-19 outbreak, is pushing Chinese society to think more about family and their own health than professional success. So they try to eat healthier foods, among other things.

This is something that will not solve the demographic problem of an increasingly aging population without a generational change, and in fact there are those who think it could create a dent in the pension fund. However, the current population does not care about this and wants to eat better quality fruits and vegetables.

Aguacatemania, but from other countries. This is where avocado comes into play. They are considered superfoods due to their vitamins, fiber or potassium content, as well as the amount of monounsaturated fatty acids. There are many myths about avocado, but the truth is that avocado has many benefits and is causing a sensation in China.

They’ve really been suffering from avocado fever for years. In 2012 they imported only 153 tonnes, but in 2015 the market exploded with almost 16,000 tonnes; This amount has not stopped growing since then. The main countries exporting avocados to China due to free trade agreements are Mexico, Peru and Chile. It is logical to think that China can produce them, but they need a lot of water and this will be a big management problem for the Asian giant, so it is better to buy it from other countries. In fact, watering avocados has caused some problems, as was told to a group of Spanish farmers arrested a few months ago.

Chinese and African mine. And since the love for this fruit will not stop growing, it is necessary to find new partners who can supply the increasingly demanding Chinese society; Africa is the continent they have their sights set on. Last year, the BRICS summit was held with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, one of the world’s most important avocado producers. So much so that in recent years the avocado area has increased from 4,750 hectares to over 18,000 hectares.

Now, Derek Donkin, chief executive of the Subtropical Growers Association of South Africa, says the first shipments of avocados are being packaged and “many of South Africa’s major exporters have already established the necessary business contacts to be able to export in China.” “As soon as the official requirements are met.”

It’s not easy to enter China. Although avocado is easy to export because the risk of pests is lower than other fruits, it is not that easy to enter China. One of the reasons why these agreements are important is that they will speed up bureaucracy in the Asian country, which has strict health standards for fresh products. Actually, exporting food to China is not that easy; While the above-mentioned Mexico, Peru and Chile are among the countries with the most facilities in this regard, frozen avocados are exported to Kenya in 2019, Tanzania in 2022 and now to this country. , South Africa.

mutual benefit. Shortly before the BRICS summit in question, Chinese companies signed agreements to purchase South African products worth $2.2 billion, but China’s relationship with Africa is not limited to South Africa, with Algeria being another important partner. So much so that a few months ago both countries signed cooperation agreements worth $36 billion, which include, among other things, the construction of more than 6,000 kilometers of train lines in Algeria, 600 of which will allow the operation of a major railway line. An iron mine of vital importance for China.

Therefore, an interesting relationship seems to be forming between China and Africa that will benefit Africa in economic and employment matters; There is a possibility for China to access new sources of supply, whether for consumption or industry.

Image | Engin Akyurt

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