The president of the National Agricultural Council, Benjamin Grayeb, said that avocado prices would increase in the coming weeks due to a reduction in production.
"We are coming to the end of the peak in volume so prices will start to rise," said the business leader. He also reported that the price of a kilo of limes, which in recent days reached 50 pesos, would decrease in approximately one month, when the next crop is harvested.
According to the SNIM, at the end of February, the price of Hass avocados produced in Michoacán had a slight increase when compared to the same period in 2013.
The price per kilo, of a nine-kilo box of Hass avocados, which was 19.19 pesos in January at the Central Federal District of Supplies increased to 19.55 pesos in February.
However, when compared with the first two months of 2013, the price increased considerably. In January of 2013 the price of a kilogram was 13.43 pesos and in February it was 11.93 pesos. Hence, from January 2013 to January 2014 the price increased 5.76 pesos, almost 50%.
From February 2013 to the same month of 2014 the price increased 7.62 pesos, i.e. 63.87 percent.
The Hass avocado reached its lowest price in February 2013. Starting March 2013 prices began an upward trend, which peaked in August, when it was sold for up to 34.65 pesos per kilogram.
The product ended the year with a price of 18.84 pesos per kilo, and started 2014 with a slight upward trend.
According to data from Conapa, Michoacan is the largest producer of avocados in Mexico, contributing 86 percent of the total national production, followed by the states of Mexico, Morelos, Nayarit and Puebla.
Internationally, the biggest buyers of this Mexican product are France, Canada, Japan and the United States.
According to the SIAP, Mexican avocado production represents more than 30 percent of the global harvest.
Source: milenio.com