Challenges and opportunities: Fruit market analysis for week 17

Week 17 began with a significant increase in field prices, despite the market showing high inventories in some sizes, especially 60s and smaller. The demand for fruit and the need to supply the market caused the price increase for the producer.

Week 16 ended with a harvest of 30,390 tons and an export of 24,563 tons; inventory remained high in Mexico, especially in small fruit.

Today the harvest started slowly and surely the entire chain is trying to define the price level that will be needed to supply the market with the available fruit.

The supply of hectares in low-lying fields in Jalisco is 60% and in Michoacán 10%, a trend that will continue in the following weeks as the supply decreases until the start of the next season's harvest.

The week presents significant challenges, the biggest being adjusting the grain size range to match available supply. The expected harvest volume is around 28,000 tons if the harvest continues as it has in recent weeks.

Hopefully the market will start moving small fruit and we can rebalance the market this week, and also that May 5th will help increase sales.

I wish you all a wonderful week.

Antonio Villaseñor Zurita Mexico

antoniovz@aztecavo.com.mx