Mexico exported 1,281 shipments of avocados to the United States last week. The industry continues to send consistent volumes to the market, and Mexico is consolidating its position as the main supplier to that market, a position that is expected to remain strong in the coming months.

Harvests in Mexico are progressing well but are still below previous years in terms of the number of orchards scheduled for harvest each day. However, each truck is bringing more weight to the packing facilities compared to last year, meaning fewer orchards are needed to meet the volume each exporter requires, as a result of improved harvesting efficiency.

The market continues to experience its lowest prices in recent years, and the disarray in pricing persists. There is a clear distinction between the open market and the market for importers with well-developed programs. The presence of discounted fruit, and even fruit sold on consignment, is also very evident at the Texas border. On the positive side, demand for Mexican fruit has increased substantially, and the market is adequately rotating most of its inventory.

The Loca fruit harvest is taking place in orchards at altitudes of more than 1,800 meters above sea level, and we are still in the overlap period with the harvest of the earlier fruit in the lower or warmer areas. So far, no significant problems have been reported with the quality of the earlier fruit, so it is assumed that the exporters have done a good job in taking care of the quality of the fruit in terms of dry matter content.

The rainy season continues to be very favorable in avocado-producing areas. Rainfall is expected to begin decreasing in October, and it could be said that we had a good rainy season this year. As a result, we are seeing a very good flowering of the avocado trees, which, barring adverse weather events, should lead to a good harvest starting in July of next year.

Sergio Paz Vega, General Manager, Coliman Avocados, sergio.paz@coliman.com , Mexico