Seventeen years have passed since the U.S. opened its borders to Mexican avocados and during this time it has achieved remarkable progress. The Mexican avocado production and industry have shown a level of maturity that has allowed it to overcome all of the quality, safety and residual challenges imposed by the international market.
Mexico exports about 50,000 tons of avocados per year to Japan, a country that is even more demanding in terms of residual pesticides than the United States. To do so, the country has introduced extraordinary measures to control the application of chemicals in orchards.
Recently, the country implemented a Pollution Risk Reduction System, which will be mandatory for all producers who wish to export. For the U.S. market, producers must register their orchards on the Integrated Harvest Information System site and, with the help of the local plant health service, must conduct chemical residue analysis using the Japanese standards.
One of the advantages of the avocado, which differentiates it from other fruits, is that, once the fruit has reached physiological maturity, the tree keeps it in good condition for a period of up to four months. Additionally, with a good management of the cold chain, its shell life once it's harvested can last between 20 to 30 days. These features provide a flexibility and a competitive advantage that has allowed the avocado business to be much more controllable than other fruit sectors.
Furthermore, the fact that its maturity changes depending on how high above sea level it is grown allows producers to distribute the harvest throughout the year.
Despite the fears that the avocado market would stagnate, consumption worldwide has been growing at a rate of 3% per year over the last five years; thanks, in part, to the campaigns about the avocado's great nutritional qualities. Meanwhile, the planted surface has only increased 2%, thus, profitability has increased for all global producers.
According to a study, APEAM's return on investment, when promoting avocado in countries like the U.S. and Japan, has been up to nine dollars for each dollar invested and Mexican avocado exports to the United States haven't hurt California farmers at all. During the first months of the 2013/2014 season, up to January, Mexico has exported 286,000 tons of avocado to the United States. This represents an increase in volume, even though exports had grown by 44% in the previous season.
The prices of Mexican exports to the U.S. have increased $8 more than in the previous season. Currently, Mexican and Californian avocados have average prices of up to $38 dollars for a 25-pound box (11.3 kilos), which proves the business is and will continue to be profitable.
Contact:
LAE Celso Castillo
Sales Manager (Avocado Division)
Ofice: (452)528-0332 Ext.# 116
Fax: (452)528-2069
Mobile: (452)525-6322
celso@promegaupn.com