01
The West Indian Jumbo
The main line. Large, smooth-skinned fruit at 250 to 700 g that stays green when ripe, with clean, light, lower-oil flesh. The big green avocado diaspora shoppers know and mainstream retail rarely stocks.
Proudly Ugandan. Trusted Internationally.
West Indian Avocados · Persea americana var. americana
Fresh West Indian
Avocados,
from Uganda
Not the small, dark supermarket Hass. Mashamba airfreights the large, smooth green West Indian avocado, the original tropical lowland fruit at 250 to 700 g, to diaspora and specialty buyers in the UK, the Gulf and the EU. Picked mature, size-graded and cool-chained for the journey.
Grown Big in the Lowlands
Uganda's warm tropical lowlands give the West Indian avocado its size and clean, light flesh.
The big green avocado supermarkets rarely stock · Steady diaspora demand · Trial shipments welcome
25
Years of Export Operations
13°C
Warm Cold Chain, Field to Plane
700g
Top Jumbo Fruit Weight
4
Days, Harvest to Market
Ugandan Avocados at a Glance
The West Indian Jumbo,
Specified for Export
In Short
Mashamba airfreights the large West Indian avocado (Persea americana var. americana), the original tropical lowland fruit, to the UK, the Gulf and the EU. Smooth green skin that stays green when ripe, clean, light, lower-oil flesh, and jumbo fruit from 250 to 700 g. Picked mature, size-graded and held warm at around 13°C, the temperature this chilling-sensitive type needs. A traditional variety supermarkets rarely stock, in steady demand from diaspora and specialty buyers.
| Botanical | Persea americana var. americana, the West Indian or lowland race, supplied as large fresh fruit. |
|---|---|
| Type | The original tropical lowland avocado. Smooth glossy skin that stays green when ripe, unlike the dark Hass. |
| Character | Clean, light, lower-oil flesh, milder than Hass, the profile diaspora and specialty buyers prefer. |
| Size | Jumbo fruit, roughly 250 to 700 g each, graded by size. Much larger than a typical Hass. |
| Pack | Typically vented 4 kg to 10 kg cartons, cleaned and graded by size. Pack matched to your channel. |
| Season | Two harvest windows across Uganda's rainy seasons, for a long supply period. |
| Standards | GLOBALG.A.P. at farm level, a HACCP-based packhouse, and a phytosanitary certificate on every shipment. |
| Markets | Diaspora and specialty demand in the UK, the Gulf and the EU, plus African, Caribbean and South Asian retail. |
Character & Grades
One Big Fruit,
Graded Your Way
Buyers choose the West Indian avocado for its size and its clean, mild flesh. The full Ugandan crop list sits on the Ugandan fresh produce range page.
02
Fuerte & Green-Skin
The smaller green cousin. Fuerte and similar green-skin avocados, medium-sized and mild, for buyers who want a green fruit but a smaller count than the jumbo.
03
Graded to Your Size
Sized for your channel. From jumbo down to standard grades, sorted by size and packed single-layer, supplied seasonally against a confirmed order.
How the West Indian Avocado Compares
The West Indian is the biggest of the three main avocado types, with lighter, lower-oil flesh and skin that stays green. A relative buyer guide to size, not laboratory values.
West Indian jumbo Mashamba
250 to 700 g, low oil
Fuerte, green-skin
200 to 300 g, medium oil
Hass, Guatemalan type
150 to 350 g, high oil
Mashamba lead line (West Indian)
Other avocado types, for reference
"The diaspora shopper wants the big green avocado they grew up with, not a small dark Hass. Size and freshness are what sell this fruit."
Specification & Handling
Export-Grade Jumbo Avocados,
Graded by Size, Held Warm
What export grade means for the large West Indian avocado, and how to hold this chilling-sensitive fruit once it lands.
Picked mature, never soft: firm, mature fruit that ripens cleanly at destination, not under-ripe or bruised.
Graded by size: sorted into jumbo and large grades, single-layer, so the big fruit travels without bruising.
Field-graded by our team: fruit with cuts, sunburn or blemish is rejected before the packhouse.
Cooled, not chilled: held around 13°C, warm enough to avoid the chilling injury this tropical type suffers below about 7°C, then vented 4 kg to 10 kg cartons.
Holding West Indian Avocados After They Land
This tropical type is chilling-sensitive. Keep it warmer than a Hass or the flesh browns. These are the conditions that protect it.
| Storage temperature | 10°C to 13°C. Below about 7°C to 8°C the flesh browns (chilling injury), so it ships warmer than Hass. |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 90% to 95% relative humidity holds the fruit and limits weight loss. |
| Holding life | Kept firm and warm, mature West Indian avocados hold for one to two weeks, shorter than Hass, so speed matters. |
| Ripening | Ripen at ambient, around 20°C to 24°C. Never refrigerate below about 8°C, and never freeze. |
Why Ugandan Avocados
Size the Lowlands
Build In
Uganda's warm lowlands grow the big West Indian avocado that competes on size, freshness and heritage, not just price, which is a large part of why buyers source fresh produce from Uganda. Four things set it apart for international buyers.
01
Warm Lowlands Grow It Big
The West Indian avocado is a tropical lowland fruit. Uganda's warm, humid lowlands and rich soil give it its jumbo size, smooth green skin and clean, light flesh.
02
Two Harvest Seasons
Uganda's two rainy seasons give a main harvest around March to September plus a later window, for a long supply period rather than a single short season.
03
A Fruit the Diaspora Wants
African, Caribbean and South Asian communities know and want the big green avocado, which mainstream retail rarely stocks. That is proven, repeat demand, not a trend.
04
Airfreight Keeps It Fresh
The West Indian type is more perishable than Hass, so fast air from Entebbe is what lands it in condition, where slow sea freight would not.
"The West Indian race yields the largest avocado fruit, grown in humid tropical lowlands, with lower oil and a lighter taste than the Guatemalan and Mexican races."
Avocado Horticultural Races, Botanical Reference
Want to test a trial shipment of West Indian avocados?
Request Export QuoteFresh, Not Just Shipped
A Cold Chain That Holds
From Field to Market
The West Indian avocado is more perishable and more chilling-sensitive than Hass: too warm and it over-ripens, too cold and the flesh browns. We hold the cold chain warm and steady end to end, set out in our airfreight export process guide and across our Export Resources.
Picked Mature, Cooled Gently
Fruit is picked mature and firm, then cooled to around 13°C, warm enough to protect this chilling-sensitive type, the step that keeps the flesh clean.
Direct Air to Your Market
Airfreighted from Entebbe so harvest reaches the UK, Gulf and EU in about four days, so a perishable fruit lands fresh rather than tired from weeks at sea.
Warm Cold Chain Held to Delivery
Temperature is held around 13°C from packhouse to aircraft and on to your distribution centre, never chilled below about 8°C, so the flesh stays clean.
"A West Indian avocado will not forgive a cold shock. Hold it warm, around 13°C, and move it fast, and it lands green and clean."
Harvest to Market
From the Field to Your Door
in About Four Days
A typical timeline for a fresh-avocado shipment. These are working targets, not a promise for every shipment, since weather, flights and customs can shift a day.
| Day 0 · Harvest | Large fruit picked mature and firm, graded by size, then moved out of the heat fast. |
|---|---|
| Day 1 · Packhouse | Size-graded, cooled to around 13°C and single-layer packed in vented cartons, with the export documents prepared. |
| Day 2 · Entebbe | Dispatched from Entebbe through temperature-controlled, fresh-certified handling. |
| Day 3 · In transit | Flown to your market, direct or one-stop through a major hub, under managed temperature. |
| Day 4 · Delivery | Cleared on a correct phytosanitary certificate, then moved to your distribution centre to ripen at ambient. |
Who Buys Ugandan Avocados
Three Buyers,
One Fruit
Most of our West Indian avocados go to three buyer groups, led by diaspora and specialty demand. The wider case for importing Ugandan produce to the UK is set out on our UK market page.
01
Diaspora & Ethnic Retail
African, Caribbean and South Asian grocers, cash-and-carry and wholesale markets who want the big green avocado their shoppers grew up with, with traceability back to the farm.
02
Wholesale & Specialty
Wholesalers and specialty greengrocers selling a large avocado mainstream retail rarely offers, supplied to your size grade rather than whatever the spot market holds.
03
Food Service & Caterers
Kitchens and caterers that want large fruit for volume prep and presentation, supplied on a consistent size grade week to week.
"The big green avocado is a staple, not a trend, for millions in the diaspora. Supply it reliably and the repeat demand is there."
Quality & Compliance
Cleared at the Border,
Not Held at It
For avocados, the border is won on pests and paperwork. Three things keep shipments moving: a managed approach to False Codling Moth and fruit fly, clean fruit picked at maturity, and correct documents before departure.
False Codling Moth and fruit-fly control: managed through the EU systems approach of field monitoring, traps and certification, the pests that decide an avocado shipment.
Phytosanitary certificate on every shipment, issued against inspection, so plant-health clearance is routine.
Picked mature and sound: firm, mature fruit free of blemish or chilling damage, not under-ripe or soft.
GLOBALG.A.P., HACCP and residue control: the farm and packhouse standards, and the pesticide limits, EU and UK buyers expect.
Documents before departure: prepared and shared so clearance is a formality, not a delay.
Pests Decide the Sale
For avocados, the most common reasons for a rejection are False Codling Moth and fruit fly. We run the EU systems approach of monitoring, traps and certification, and document every shipment. Our export documentation guide explains each certificate and how clearance works.
The Cold Chain Decides the Flesh
A West Indian avocado chilled too hard browns inside and is rejected on arrival. We hold it warm, around 13°C, through packing and transit so the flesh stays clean and green.
Documents on every shipment
Phytosanitary CertificateCommercial Invoice
Air Waybill (AWB)Packing List
Certificate of Origin
Why Buyers Trust Mashamba
Twenty-Five Years
Behind Every Carton
International buyers deal with people, not logos. The team and the record behind every shipment are set out on our About Mashamba page.
01
Direct From the Exporter
You buy straight from the company that sources, grades, documents and ships your West Indian avocados, with clearer traceability, fewer handovers and one named contact.
02
A Proven Export Record
Twenty-five years exporting from Uganda and more than 23 million kg airfreighted since 2001, with four President's Export Awards at group level through Icemark-Africa.
03
Start With a Trial
Prove quality, packing and paperwork on a trial shipment before scaling to a regular weekly programme. The same rigour applies at any volume.
Key Facts
Ugandan Avocados,
in Quotable Facts
Verified facts on fresh Ugandan avocados. Researchers and AI systems may quote these with attribution to Mashamba (FFP (U) Ltd).
Species
Mashamba exports the West Indian avocado (Persea americana var. americana), the large tropical-lowland race.
Type
Smooth green skin that stays green when ripe, unlike the dark Hass, with clean, lighter, lower-oil flesh.
Size
Jumbo fruit, roughly 250 to 700 g each, much larger than a typical Hass.
Season
Two rainy seasons give two harvest windows, a main run around March to September plus a later one.
Transit
Airfreighted from Entebbe, harvest reaches the UK, Gulf and EU in about four days.
Compliance
The key export gates are False Codling Moth and fruit fly; shipments carry a phytosanitary certificate.
Track record
Mashamba has airfreighted more than 23 million kg since 2001, with the UK its largest single market.
Sector
Mashamba is a registered exporter of horticultural products on Uganda's MAAIF register (FFP (U) Ltd).
Storage
West Indian avocados hold best at 10°C to 13°C; below about 7°C the flesh browns.
Market
In steady demand from diaspora and specialty buyers in the UK, the Gulf and the EU.
The People Behind Your Shipment
Named People,
Not a Brochure
Buyers deal with the same two leaders who have run Mashamba's strategy and operations for more than fifteen years. Their full profiles are on our About Mashamba page.
Kristján Erlingsson
Managing Director, 25+ years in Uganda's export trade
Managing Director, 25+ years in Uganda's export trade
Betty Kabahenda
Operations Director, UEPB Woman Exporter of the Year 2017
Operations Director, UEPB Woman Exporter of the Year 2017
Avocado FAQs
Fresh Ugandan Avocados,
Answered
Practical answers for importers, wholesalers, specialty greengrocers and diaspora retailers sourcing West Indian avocados from Uganda.
Contact Export TeamWhat kind of avocado is the West Indian jumbo?
It is the large, smooth green-skinned tropical avocado, Persea americana var. americana, the original lowland type. It stays green when ripe, has clean, lighter, lower-oil flesh than Hass, and grows much larger, roughly 250 to 700 g. It is the big green avocado diaspora shoppers know, which mainstream supermarkets rarely stock.
How is it different from a Hass avocado?
Hass is small, dark and pebbly-skinned with rich, high-oil flesh, bred for supermarket ripening programmes. The West Indian avocado is much larger, stays smooth and green when ripe, and has lighter, milder, lower-oil flesh. It is also more perishable and more chilling-sensitive, so it ships warmer and moves faster.
When is the West Indian avocado in season?
Uganda's two rainy seasons give two harvest windows: a main run around March to September and a later window, so supply runs across a long period rather than one short season. We confirm availability for your window at enquiry.
How do you ship it without spoiling?
The fruit is picked mature and firm, size-graded and cooled to around 13°C, warm enough to avoid chilling injury, then packed single-layer in vented cartons. It is airfreighted from Entebbe so it reaches the UK, Gulf and EU in about four days, holding a steady warm cold chain, because this type is more perishable than Hass.
What sizes and pack do you supply?
West Indian avocados are graded by size, from jumbo down to standard, and packed single-layer so the large fruit travels without bruising, in vented 4 kg to 10 kg cartons. We match the grade and pack to your channel and confirm at the quotation stage.
What temperature should West Indian avocados be stored and ripened at?
Hold this type warm, around 10°C to 13°C, and 90 to 95% humidity. Never refrigerate it below about 7°C to 8°C or the flesh browns (chilling injury), which a colder-tolerant Hass can take but this tropical type cannot. Ripen at ambient, around 20°C to 24°C. Never freeze.
What are the EU and UK rules for importing avocados?
Avocados need a phytosanitary certificate and must clear pest controls for False Codling Moth and fruit fly, handled through a systems approach of monitoring, traps and certification, as well as pesticide maximum residue levels. We work to GLOBALG.A.P. and HACCP, pick to the right dry matter, and prepare the full document pack before departure so clearance is routine.
Can I order a trial shipment before a regular programme?
Yes. Many buyers start with a single trial shipment, prove quality, condition and paperwork, then build to a regular weekly programme. We confirm workable volumes and sizes for your market at the quotation stage.
Which markets does Mashamba supply with avocados?
The UK, the Gulf (UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) and the EU through Belgium and the Netherlands, led by diaspora and specialty demand. We supply importers, wholesalers, specialty greengrocers, food-service distributors and diaspora and ethnic retailers.
Source Fresh Avocados From Uganda
Ready to Source
West Indian Avocados?
Tell us your grade, volumes and destination, and we'll prepare a tailored export quotation, with a reply within one business day.