When one speaks of avocados in Mexico, one is not speaking of a simple food, but of a fruit that is completely rooted in the history and customs of the country. Originally from the highlands of central and eastern Mexico, the oldest evidence of avocado consumption comes from Coaxcatlan Puebla 7000 years ago.
Currently, the avocado has become a global icon of Mexican culture that reaches more than 20 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia, as Mexico is the main exporter of this fruit worldwide. In terms of production, Mexico is estimated to harvest 1.8 million tons, 70% of which are produced in the state of Michoacan.
In General, the avocado has positioned itself as one of Mexico's main export products, as it reaches destinations such as Canada, France, El Salvador, Japan, United States, and others. These countries are the top five export destination for Mexican avocado, as together they purchased 213,640,000 dollars of avocado in 2016, accounting for 95% share of the international market.
Within the five markets, the United States is undoubtedly the main consumer of the Mexican product. In the first month of 2017 the US purchased Mexican avocados worth 180,166,000 dollars, which accounts for an 81% participation in relation to the same period of the previous year.
In January 2017, total sales of avocado amounted to 223,285,000 dollars; which makes this crop one of Mexico's most profitable products. The impact of the Mexican avocado has been such that the fruit generates sales above those registered by the hydrocarbons market. According to figures from last year, oil sales left the country with a deficit of 13.163 billion dollars, while avocado exports reported a surplus of 2.22 billion dollars.
The numbers made it clear that this is one of the best times for Mexican avocado, even specialists are beginning to refer to this crop as Mexican green gold.
Source: segundoenfoque.com