Avocado harvesting and exporting activities in Michoacán, Mexico, have resumed this week after a precautionary suspension due to various disruptions on Sunday in different areas of the state. According to industry sources, operations have gradually returned to normal since Monday, including the reinstatement of USDA staff.
"On Sunday (22 February), there were blockades and a lot of uncertainty. Since we didn't know what Monday was going to be like, all activity was suspended," said a producer-packer in the region. "But on Monday (23 February), the situation gradually went back to normal, and today [Tuesday 24 February] work has resumed. Harvesting and exporting operations are underway as usual."
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The source explained that some of the harvesting tasks scheduled for the beginning of the week had to be postponed. "On Saturday (21 February), we had already scheduled the work for Monday, but plans were cancelled due to this issue. Today [Tuesday 24 February], the harvest has continued," he said. He also confirmed that traffic has been quickly restored in most of the state. "There are now practically no problems anywhere in the whole of Michoacán. You can travel normally."
However, he acknowledged that in certain specific areas, the situation remains more complex, with a visible presence of security forces. "There is a lot of military, navy, and police, but it's still possible to work and ship the fruit without inconvenience," he says.
The resumption of the sector's activity was officially confirmed by the Association of Avocado Producers and Packers Exporters of Mexico (APEAM). In a statement, the organization reported that, as of Tuesday, 24 February, activities in the urban areas of Uruapan and Morelia have been resumed, allowing USDA personnel to return to their normal work.
The document states that "harvesting and shipping activities may resume," underlining the importance of maintaining measures to safeguard the integrity and safety of laborers working in the fields. APEAM also said that it will continue to work in coordination with the USDA to fully restore the industry's operations and to monitor progress on safety issues.
On the production side, there's a positive outlook for the coming weeks. "It looks like there is going to be plenty of supply again. We've had some good rains during the growing season," says the source. There are even prospects of a slight advance in the start of the harvest: "It looks like we'll begin a little early and that we are getting good sizes and volumes."
As far as the market is concerned, although the United States remains the main destination for Mexican avocados, the gap between the prices in the domestic and the export markets is smaller than usual. "We haven't seen the demand that normally drives prices to higher levels, so there hasn't been much of a difference," he says.
