Market Overview – Colombia
August 2018
Market snapshot
- Colombia is the third most populous country in Latin America with 49.0 million people in 2017. The population is expected to reach 53.9 million by 2030.
- Colombia is Latin America's fourth largest economy at US$327 billion in 2017 with gross domestic product (GDP) growth falling from 6.6% in 2011 to 1.8% in 2017. GPD is expected to reach US$435 billion in 2023.
- Colombia is a net exporter of agri-food and seafood products, with a trade surplus of Can$1.5 billion in 2017.
- Colombia's agri-food and seafood imports increased 3.0% from 2013 to 2017 led by imports of corn, soybean oilcake, wheat, prepared food, and soybean oil. Key supplying countries were the United States, South American trading partners, and Canada, due in part to free trade agreements Colombia has with these suppliers.
- Canada was Colombia's largest supplier of wheat and fourth largest supplier of total agri-food and seafood products in 2017, with a 5.8% market share.
- Packaged food sales grew 5.0% between 2013 to 2017 and are expected to continue increasing by 5.2% from 2018 to 2022. Best performing categories in the last five years were ready meals (9.2%), edible oils (9.1%), and snack foods (8.5%).
Production
- Sugar cane remains the primary domestic crop in Colombia, which saw a compound annual growth rate of 2.0% in production from 2012 to 2016. Coffee beans and pineapples saw the largest production increases over the same period at 12.7% and 11.6% respectively. Production of corn and cassava's recorded volume declines.
- Meat production is dominated by chicken, which has grown by a compound annual growth rate of 7.6% from 2012 to 2016. Beef and pork, the second and third largest meat categories, fell by 0.8% and 2.0% over the same period.
- Pigs and goat numbers increased by 4.5% and 9.1% from 2012 to 2016, while cattle, horses, and sheep numbers decreased from 2012 to 2016.
| Crops | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | CAGR* % 2012-2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar cane | 33,363.5 | 34,956.4 | 36,508.4 | 36,709.8 | 36,951.2 | 2.6 |
| Oil palm fruit | 4,670.8 | 5,053.2 | 5,531.9 | 6,249.4 | 6,762.4 | 9.7 |
| Plantains | 3,202.7 | 3,349.4 | 3,467.0 | 3,651.6 | 3,539.2 | 2.5 |
| Rice | 2,317.7 | 1,996.6 | 2,206.5 | 2,488.5 | 2,453.4 | 1.4 |
| Potatoes | 1,847.1 | 2,129.3 | 2,157.6 | 2,582.1 | 2,354.9 | 6.3 |
| Cassava | 2,217.9 | 2,490.8 | 2,186.2 | 2,092.2 | 2,105.4 | −1.3 |
| Bananas | 1,944.1 | 2,026.8 | 1,770.9 | 1,997.4 | 2,043.7 | 1.3 |
| Corn | 1,872.8 | 1,779.1 | 1,803.0 | 1,471.0 | 1,334.8 | −8.1 |
| Pineapples | 486.8 | 640.4 | 652.7 | 741.3 | 756.0 | 11.6 |
| Coffee beans | 462.0 | 653.2 | 728.4 | 850.5 | 745.1 | 12.7 |
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization – Statistics Division (FAOSTAT) Agricultural Production, March 2018 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
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| Meat indigenous | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | CAGR* % 2012-2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 1,112,246 | 1,274,270 | 1,359,153 | 1,424,388 | 1,488,260 | 7.6 |
| Beef | 854,232 | 856,232 | 837,384 | 854,314 | 828,318 | −0.8 |
| Pork | 330,798 | 244,307 | 263,151 | 305,105 | 304,886 | −2.0 |
| Goat | 4,622 | 5,169 | 5,225 | 6,213 | 6,564 | 9.2 |
| Rabbit | 3,185 | 3,185 | 3,157 | 3,164 | 3,197 | 0.1 |
Source: FAOSTAT Agricultural Production, March 2018 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
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| Livestock | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | CAGR* % 2012-2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 23,642,960 | 22,574,780 | 22,527,783 | 22,555,549 | 22,610,101 | −1.1 |
| Pigs | 5,352,791 | 5,340,890 | 5,897,066 | 6,390,652 | 6,372,230 | 4.5 |
| Goats | 803,916 | 887,455 | 913,377 | 1,082,812 | 1,139,216 | 9.1 |
| Horses | 899,813 | 839,182 | 821,852 | 812,629 | 763,505 | −4.0 |
| Sheep | 1,045,416 | 701,884 | 725,783 | 736,234 | 727,228 | −8.7 |
Source: FAOSTAT Agricultural Production, March 2018 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
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Trade
- Colombia is a net exporter of agri-food and seafood products. In 2017, Colombia's agri-food and seafood trade surplus was Can$1.5 billion with imports valued at Can$7.3 billion, and Can$8.8 billion in exports. Colombia's agri-food and seafood imports increased at a compound annual growth rate of 3.0% from 2013 to 2017.
- Colombia's top agri-food and seafood imports in 2017 were corn, soybean oilcake, wheat and meslin, prepared food, and soybean oil. Key suppliers were the United States and South American trading partners. Canada was Colombia's fourth largest supplier of total agri-food and seafood products in 2017, with 5.8% market share.
- Canada's agri-food and seafood exports to Colombia were valued at Can$385 million in 2017. Top exports were wheat and meslin, dried lentils, dried peas, canary seeds, and frozen pork. In 2017, Canada registered an agri-food and seafood trade deficit of Can$134 million with Colombia.
| Commodity | Import value Can$ millions | Top suppliers and market share | Canada's Share % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
| Corn | 1,121,752,060 | United States 97.4% |
Brazil 1.3% |
Argentina 0.7% |
0.0 |
| Soybean oilcake | 567,607,181 | United States 76.2% |
Bolivia 23.8% |
Mexico >0% |
0.0 |
| Wheat and meslin | 529,789,190 | Canada 57.7% |
United States 37.5% |
Argentina 4.7% |
57.7 |
| Food preparations, n.e.s. | 311,308,595 | Brazil 41.5% |
United States 22.8% |
Mexico 9.4% |
2.0 |
| Crude soybean oil | 285,212,490 | Bolivia 69.2% |
United States 18.0% |
Argentina 12.7% |
0.0 |
| Soybeans | 256,458,538 | United States 99.9% |
Taiwan >0% |
Bolivia >0% |
0.0 |
| Frozen pork | 194,962,746 | United States 90.7% |
Canada 5.1% |
Chile 3.7% |
5.1 |
| Bottled water | 180,763,778 | Unspecified 98.3% |
United States 0.7% |
United Kingdom 0.2% |
0.0 |
| Crude palm oil | 151,929,738 | Ecuador 76.7% |
Brazil 16.0% |
Peru 7.3% |
0.0 |
| Prepared or preserved tunas, skipjack and Atlantic Bonito | 140,630,599 | Ecuador 76.7% |
Brazil 16.0% |
Peru 7.3% |
0.0 |
Source: Global Trade Tracker, 2018 |
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Retail sales
- All categories of packaged food showed sales increases at an overall compound annual growth rate of 5.0% between 2013 to 2017, which are expected to continue increasing by 5.2% from 2018 to 2022. The best performing categories in the last five years were ready meals (9.2%), edible oils (9.1%), and snack foods (8.5%).
- Colombian consumers have begun to emerge from an economic slowdown, which began in 2008 and resulted in consumers focusing their purchasing on the basics and relying on discount brands, making price a key driver in decision-making. As the Colombian economy recovers during the forecast period and disposable incomes increase, consumption in more sophisticated categories, such as health and wellness products, is expected to accelerate.
| Category | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | CAGR* % 2013-17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dairy | 2,482.3 | 2,572.1 | 2,679.6 | 2,775.1 | 2,904.1 | 4.0 |
| Baked goods | 1,763.7 | 1,826.9 | 1,884.8 | 1,947.1 | 2,006.7 | 3.3 |
| Rice, pasta and noodles | 1,188.6 | 1,223.6 | 1,293.7 | 1,352.6 | 1,424.5 | 4.6 |
| Processed meat and seafood | 806.7 | 890.9 | 892.7 | 951.6 | 1,013.2 | 5.9 |
| Savoury snacks | 778.5 | 831.9 | 887.0 | 928.9 | 985.0 | 6.1 |
| Edible oils | 503.3 | 553.1 | 614.4 | 665.5 | 712.9 | 9.1 |
| Confectionery | 427.1 | 451.9 | 477.9 | 503.5 | 529.4 | 5.5 |
| Sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks | 377.1 | 400.9 | 447.1 | 482.6 | 522.4 | 8.5 |
| Ice cream and frozen desserts | 399.5 | 433.8 | 455.9 | 483.9 | 507.2 | 6.1 |
| Sauces, dressings and condiments | 310.1 | 317.8 | 330.3 | 342.5 | 359.0 | 3.7 |
| Baby food | 174.4 | 189.3 | 189.4 | 211.9 | 228.1 | 6.9 |
| Breakfast cereals | 155.6 | 163.7 | 172.4 | 178.7 | 187.7 | 4.8 |
| Ready meals | 71.1 | 83.9 | 89.7 | 96.1 | 101.2 | 9.2 |
| Processed fruit and vegetables | 71.8 | 73.0 | 74.2 | 78.3 | 83.1 | 3.7 |
| Spreads | 56.5 | 60.5 | 64.5 | 66.0 | 68.8 | 5.0 |
| Soup | 24.2 | 23.9 | 23.2 | 24.3 | 25.4 | 1.2 |
| Total | 9,590.6 | 10,097.1 | 10,576.9 | 11,088.5 | 11,658.7 | 5.0 |
Source: Euromonitor International, 2018 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
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| Categories | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | CAGR* % 2018-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savoury snacks | 3,064.5 | 3,221.0 | 3,382.4 | 3,547.2 | 3,715.0 | 4.9 |
| Baked goods | 2,066.4 | 2,128.7 | 2,199.5 | 2,279.6 | 2,363.7 | 3.4 |
| Baby good | 1,515.3 | 1,601.7 | 1,687.1 | 1,771.2 | 1,855.0 | 5.2 |
| Ready meals | 1,045.2 | 1,116.5 | 1,188.8 | 1,260.0 | 1,331.7 | 6.2 |
| Ice cream and frozen desserts | 1,079.6 | 1,143.0 | 1,205.3 | 1,267.1 | 1,328.9 | 5.3 |
| Edible oils | 763.1 | 812.7 | 863.5 | 915.4 | 967.6 | 6.1 |
| Soup | 566.6 | 610.5 | 655.4 | 701.3 | 747.9 | 7.2 |
| Confectionery | 539.6 | 580.2 | 621.5 | 663.8 | 707.1 | 7.0 |
| Processed meat and seafood | 563.3 | 596.6 | 630.5 | 665.1 | 700.2 | 5.6 |
| Breakfast cereals | 378.8 | 397.4 | 415.7 | 433.8 | 451.8 | 4.5 |
| Dairy | 246.0 | 263.6 | 281.6 | 300.1 | 318.8 | 6.7 |
| Rice, pasta and noodles | 199.0 | 209.8 | 220.4 | 231.0 | 241.4 | 4.9 |
| Sauces, dressings and condiments | 108.3 | 115.1 | 121.7 | 128.1 | 134.4 | 5.5 |
| Sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks | 88.9 | 94.3 | 99.6 | 104.7 | 109.7 | 5.4 |
| Spreads | 73.1 | 77.3 | 81.4 | 85.5 | 89.6 | 5.2 |
| Processed fruit and vegetables | 26.8 | 28.1 | 29.5 | 30.8 | 32.2 | 4.7 |
| Total | 12,324.0 | 12,996.2 | 13,683.8 | 14,384.6 | 15,095.2 | 5.2 |
Source: Euromonitor International, 2018 *CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate |
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For more information
International Trade Commissioners can provide Canadian industry with on-the-ground expertise regarding market potential, current conditions and local business contacts, and are an excellent point of contact for export advice.
For additional intelligence on this and other markets, the complete library of Global Analysis reports can be found on the International agri-food market intelligence page, arranged by region.
Resources
- Euromonitor International, 2018 - Packaged Food in Colombia, Colombia: Country Profile
- Food and Agriculture Organization – Statistics Division (FAOSTAT) (2017). Agricultural Production – Colombia.
- Global Trade Tracker (2018). Import and export statistics – Colombia.
- Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE)
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Market Overview – Colombia
Global Analysis Report
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