NUEVO CHAO, Peru — Camposol, a leading Peruvian agribusiness headquartered in Lima, Peru, is looking to capitalize on the increased access of the U.S. market for Peruvian avocados.

The company, owned by the Dyer family, is investing heavily in its avocado operations near Trujillo, a coastal region north of Lima, and is seeing promising results.

“It was a risky proposition when we first started with avocados,” said Allan Cooper, managing director of Camposol’s avocado business unit. “First of all, this is a desert region, which is not normally the environment for avocados. Usually they are grown at a higher altitude and in areas where there is much rain.”

Cooper said as a result of much trial and error, Camposol now has thriving production of avocados on approximately 2,540 hectares (or about 6,000 acres).

“We took things we learned over the years and put them into practice and improved upon them,” said Cooper. “We experimented with root stock, nutrition plans and watering strategies. Essentially, we wrote our own book.”

Cooper said Camposol expects good volumes of fruit in the size 40 to 60 range, with a preponderance of size 48, a popular size for the U.S. retail market.

Key to the success of avocado production in this region is the successful implementation of a regional water project known as Chavimochic, which taps fresh, pure water from rivers emanating from the Andes Mountains for use in agriculture. The project is now in its third stage and benefits primarily three crops: avocados, asparagus and blueberries.

Among other changes at Camposol this season is the fact that avocados are now being harvested in bins in the field. The bins, which hold about 400 kilograms (900 pounds) of fruit, enable workers to harvest more quickly and efficiently, with trucks picking up filled bins frequently for transport to the packinghouse.

Camposol also has its own nursery, which it uses to propagate its stock.

“It’s really the only way to ensure the quality and traceability of our products,” said Cooper. “Everything we produce is fully traceable from the crew in the field all the way to the retail shelf.”

Cooper said Camposol focuses on just-in-time delivery, so avocados spend no more than three days in cold storage before they are shipped. And to help expedite shipping, the company has its own SENASA inspection office at its packing plant to provide in-house federal sanitary inspection.

Camposol, which claims to be the third-largest employer in Peru, with 13,000 workers during peak seasons, is also a major proponent of social responsibility for its employees.

As part of those efforts, the company maintains a day-care facility and medical clinic in the village of Nuevo Chao, which, along with the adjacent village of Chao, is home to many of the company’s employees.

The day-care facility provides child care free of cost to employees of Camposol, and approximately 40 to 60 children are in attendance each day.

Cooper said the medical clinic started in 2007 and is an alliance between Camposol and the regional government. It treats approximately 60 people per day, with a large number of patients being children and pregnant women.

But perhaps the most ambitious social responsibility project for Camposol is its Mar verde housing development.

Marverde is a planned city that will offer a housing option for Camposol employees and is being built in seven phases over seven years.

Housing units are available in various sizes, from modest single-level dwellings suitable for a small family to a bi-level house designed for larger families to much larger, more luxurious structures for executive-level employees. The community will offer residents services such as law enforcement, schools, banks, commerce and recreational facilities.

There are 698 houses are planned for the first phase, and 200 have already been sold. Prices for homes in phase 1 range from $10,000 to $33,000, depending on the size of the house and size of the lot.

And with assistance in the form of low-interest loans, residents are receiving the ability to build equity and live in a development with quality housing.

Commenting on the Camposol’s social responsibility initiatives, Cooper said, “We can’t give the market a quality product if we don’t provide a quality environment for our employees.”