Mexico is a worldwide reference in terms of avocado production. According to Luis Doporto Alejandre, a specialist in the avocado industry, this is possible because the state of Michoacan harvests the most significant quantities of the so-called “green gold.”
Until a few weeks ago, Michoacán was the only state in the Republic authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to export Mexican avocados to the United States. However, recently, the neighboring state of Jalisco received this distinction.
“Michoacan avocado exports will continue to be essential in Mexico’s position as the world’s leading avocado producer,” said Doporto.
In 2021, Michoacan exported more than 1.08 million tons of avocados; between 2020 and 2021, approximately 80% of exported production was for the United States.
Luis Doporto Alejandre believes the avocado has awakened great devotion among American consumers, breaking all production, export, and consumption records. Primarily on dates close to a major sporting event in that country, such as the Super Bowl.
Between 2019 and 2020, the consumption of fresh avocados per capita in the U.S. was 3.54 kilograms, showcasing an increase of 83.76% in the last ten years, especially compared to the nineties, when the average consumption was just half a kilogram per year.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Mexico revealed that in the first weeks of 2022, more than 135,000 tons of avocados arrived in the U.S.
Consequently, by April 2022, the National Service of Health, Safety, and Food Quality in Mexico had certified more than 49,000 orchards, with a total area of more than 150,000 hectares.
In addition, 72 Michoacan avocado packinghouses were certified after fulfilling the requirements established by the NOM-066-FITO-1995 and the Work Plan for exporting Hass Avocados from Mexico to the United States.
“In 1914, the United States prohibited the import of Mexican avocados, arguing that the fruit fly contaminated the product. However, in 1997 the ban began to be gradually lifted and, from then on, the neighboring country became one of the main consumers of Mexican avocados primarily due to the quality that characterizes it,” Luis Doporto Alejandre concluded.