Avocado exports have been increasing for 4 years; to the US, 1.1 million tons

Angelica Enciso L.

Newspaper La Jornada
Tuesday, February 15, 2022, p. 8

Before the temporary suspension established by the United States in its purchases of Mexican avocado, it was expected that the export of the product to the neighboring country this year would be more than 1.1 million tons, at least 85 thousand tons more than in 2021, according to the agri-food perspectives for 2022 of the Agricultural Markets Consulting Group.

The agency estimated for this year a production of 2.52 million tons of avocado, national consumption is one million and the rest is exported. Mexico is the main world supplier and in the past four years its sales abroad have increased to reach 1.2 million tons per year, on average, indicated the Agrifood and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP).

The area planted to produce the fruit, until October last year, grew 7 thousand 108 hectares compared to 2020, to reach 248 thousand 248 hectares, for which only Michoacán allocates 174 thousand 992 hectares -the only entity with the endorsement of the United States United to export food–, reported the body dependent on the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In the most recent monthly scenario of agri-food products, corresponding to December, he explained that the harvested area was less than the sown area, since it was left at 223,962 hectares, although this figure represented an increase of 1,691 hectares in relation to 2020. Michoacán harvested 166 thousand hectares.

He stressed that Mexico is the main world supplier of avocado and since 2018 exports of the fruit have been on the rise, with 1.2 million tons per year on average. He specified that during November it was sold to 27 countries, although 95 percent of what was exported was concentrated in six nations: the United States, 79.4, Canada 6.3, Japan 4.6 and Spain 3 percent, as well as El Salvador and Honduras.

He specified that Michoacán, with 17 certified municipalities, is the entity that supplies the demand of the United States, while Jalisco sells to Japan, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, which present a growing purchasing trend.