Mehadrin targets 1,000 hectares of avocado farms in Peru after first European shipments
Israeli agricultural exporter Mehadrin plans to expand its own avocado acreage in Peru from 150–200 hectares to 1,000 hectares. The company shipped fruit from its Peruvian farms to Europe for the first time this year and is seeking additional outlets in the Americas and Asia.
Peruvian avocado acreage set for fivefold expansion
Israeli agricultural exporter Mehadrin plans to increase its own avocado cultivation in Peru to 1,000 hectares, substantially expanding a production base that currently covers between 150 and 200 hectares. Gestión, citing information published by FreshPlaza, reported that the project forms part of the company’s strategy to diversify its growing regions and secure fruit supplies throughout the year.
The Peruvian operation produced its first direct commercial result this year, when Mehadrin shipped avocados grown on its own farms in the country to Europe for the first time. The company described the campaign’s agricultural performance as positive and said its production allowed it to participate in approximately 20 weeks of the Peruvian avocado season. Reaching 1,000 hectares would represent an increase of at least five times from the upper end of its current planted area, although Mehadrin has not disclosed an investment amount, development timetable or expected production volume.
Southern Hemisphere supply supports year-round program
Anthony de Cuba, managing director of Mehadrin Holland, said a position in the Southern Hemisphere was necessary to build a genuine year-round avocado program, describing Peru as the company’s logical next step. Mehadrin also has its own production in Morocco and aims to reach approximately 1,000 hectares of avocado farms there within five years. However, the company considers Morocco’s production window similar to Israel’s, limiting the contribution that the North African operation can make to seasonal diversification.
Mehadrin entered Peruvian agriculture in 2025 through the acquisition of Don Fermín, an agricultural company with a farm in Chincha producing citrus fruit and Hass avocados. At the time of the acquisition, Mehadrin projected that Peru could help it secure supplies during 10 to 11 months of the year. The planned acreage expansion would deepen that strategy by giving the exporter greater control over its fruit during the core Peruvian season and by complementing its Northern Hemisphere production.
Destination diversification and a broader crop portfolio
Europe is already receiving Mehadrin’s own-grown Peruvian fruit, but the company also intends to market that production in North America, South America and Asia. De Cuba said destination diversification is essential for Peru because a large share of Hass avocado output reaches Europe within a period of approximately 20 weeks, potentially exerting a significant influence on prices. Alternative destinations are therefore becoming more commercially attractive as exporters seek to manage concentrated supply and reduce dependence on a single market.
The strategy in Peru extends beyond avocados. Mehadrin is working with Nadorcott and PrimaSol mandarin varieties and is assessing additional growers and regions that already produce citrus fruit, grapes and limes. Some of its Peruvian citrus production has already been sent to the United States. For growers and buyers, the expansion points to a larger, more diversified supply platform rather than a standalone avocado project. Its eventual effect on export capacity will depend on how quickly the additional land is developed, the yields achieved and the distribution of volumes among Europe, the Americas and Asia.
