Guatemala is one of the birthplaces of avocado, and within the Guatemalan breed there are many commercially known cultivars, among which the Hass cultivar stands out, which due to its excellent flavor and nutritional value, is preferred by consumers worldwide. The avocado industry in Guatemala began in the middle of the last century to supply the domestic market and in the last seven years, exports of Hass and Booth 8 avocados in fresh fruit and processed products such as guacamole and frozen fruit has developed.
The excellent agroclimatic conditions of Guatemala for the development of the avocado allow fruit to be available during a parge part of the year, with a greater volume during October and February. Currently, work is being done to increased the exportable supply with growers interested in producing fruit, focusing efforts on compliance with regulations, trade agreements, and specifications of the different international markets.
From July to September is the harvest of the Booth 8 cultivar, a fruit of the green skin type, with approximately 1,200 hectares planted among the growers. Guatemala has several companies that export fresh fruit, guacamole, sauces and frozen fruit, which are committed to good agricultural and manufacturing practices; this allows them to be certified, among others, with GlobalG.A.P., SMETA and Rainforest Alliance, and thus supply the European Union, Canada and Central American markets.