CNI News
10 February 2024
Due to difficult transportation in the current avocado season, it is difficult to export avocado and Myanmar avocado can be exported to Thailand alone, according to the Myanmar Avocado Association.
Although Myanmar avocado was being exported to Thailand through border route, traders made a loss and farmers could not sell at a profitable price, Ko Kyaw Soe Min, secretary of the Myanmar Avocado Exporters Association, told CNI News.
" We must export avocado whether we can sell it at a profitable price or not because it's kind of marketable greens. It can't be kept for long. Coffee can be kept for long. We can't export avocado to other countries except for Thailand. We can use the border route only to export. As the traders make a loss, they can't buy avocado at a higher price from the farmers. We have expected to export about 250 tons of avocado including Hass." he said.
Although Myanmar avocado is exported to China, Thailand, Malaysia, UAE, Singapore, India and Vietnam, this year it can be exported to Thailand alone.
Moreover, India offered to buy 1,000 tons of avocado from Myanmar in July, 2023, Myanmar cannot export because it is not convenient to ship by sea or through border routes.
In exporting avocado to Thailand, because of difficult transportation, when traders are late to buy avocados, the fruits tend to be overripe.
Although one kilogram of avocado could be sold at 8,000 kyats last year, but this one kilogram is paid just 5,000 kyats at most, Khun Arkar, chairman of the Kyauktalone Township Avocado Association in southern Shan State, told CNI News.
" In the early season, avocados of high quality can be sold at 3,000 or 4,000 kyats a kilo. But avocados of low quality, 1,000 or 1,500 kyats a kilo. When the buyer are late to buy because of difficult transportation, many fruits falls this year. In the past, avocados can be sold at from 4,000 to 8,000 kyats a kilo. When avocados are scarce, the price goes up a bit. In the middle of the season, avocados are cheap. The highest price is just 5,000 kyats." he said.
In Myanmar, there are 25,000 acres of avocado plantation and it is grown in Shan State, Mandalay Region, Chin State, Sagaing Region, Kachin State and Kayah State. In Myanmar, about 3,000 tons of avocados yielded in the 2022-23 fiscal year.
