The Avocado was already cultivated by the Incas who occupied south american territories located between present-day Colombia and Peru. According to Garcilazo de la Vega (1605) its local name is derived from the province of Palta in Ecuador, from where it was taken to Cuzco by the Incas.

It is believed Spanish colonizers introduced avocados into Chile, presumably at the beginning of the seventeenth century from the Peruvian coast. The Hass variety arrived in the country in 1949 brought all the way from California, and was initially planted around the village of San Isidro in the province of Quillota, where the plantations have been particularly productive right up to the present day.

Today, Chile has around 30 thousand hectares planted with avocado, making it the world’s second largest producer. The Hass variety makes up more than 85% of total plantations.