Westfalia launches avocado ripening facility in India

Westfalia Fruit India has launched its first avocado ripening facility in Mumbai, India, allowing the company to supply avocados that are ready to eat in Mumbai and neighbouring areas.

Built in Navi Mumbai, the ripening chamber was launched on 17 August at a ceremony attended by fruit distributors, wholesalers, offline retailers and e-commerce operators.

Westfalia Fruit launched in India last year and has since supplied over 1000 MT of avocados to the Indian market. This year also marks the first year of commercial harvest of Indian grown Hass avocados. Over the next few years, over 500 acres of existing Hass avocado plantations in Southern India will come into production, enabling consistent year-round availability of avocados for consumers.

Zac Bard, Westfalia Fruit India Director, said avocado ripeness has been a challenge for retailers and consumers in India, with many unsure of the perfect time to eat an avocado or unaware of how to handle Hass avocados at different stages of ripeness.

The ripening facility is designed to change the way avocados are marketed and consumed. The company has plans to open similar facilities in other major metros of the country.