Plant health in Mexico
Mexico: 93% of avocado-growing area free of borers
After detecting bone borers in two shipments, Mexico reported that more than 243,000 hectares are free of the pest and detailed its controls.
November 4, 2026
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) has reported in a press release disseminated by Senasica that 93% of the area cultivated with avocados in Mexico is located in areas recognized as free of seed weevils.
This designation covers 243,926 hectares located in 103 municipalities and 12 agroecological zones. Of these, 185,705 hectares correspond to lands in 50 municipalities located in Michoacán, the country's main producing state.
The 93% refers to the cultivated area recognized as free of avocado seed weevils. The fact that an area does not have this recognition does not, in itself, mean that the pest has been detected there.
On October 28, mobile inspections detected two shipments infested with this pest. One was returned to its origin, and the second was destroyed to prevent its spread. The report describes the interception and handling of the contaminated lots and clarifies that the hectares recognized as free of the corn borer have received phytosanitary certification.
The larvae of avocado seed borers develop inside the fruit and damage the seed. The phytosanitary concern is that if infested fruit is transported, the pest could reach production areas where it has not yet been detected. Hence the importance of inspecting shipments and taking action when its presence is detected.
How are free zones protected?
Monitoring is carried out both in the orchards and along transport routes. Senasica takes fruit samples in the production areas and checks traps periodically to detect the presence of regulated pests.
On the highways, Michoacán has five internal checkpoints, in addition to mobile inspections covering secondary roads. Between August 13 and October 30, authorities verified 1,774 shipments totaling 7,391 tons, all of which complied with transportation regulations.
To strengthen surveillance on entry routes to Michoacán, Senasica authorized the installation of three additional checkpoints: two in Nayarit and one in Jalisco. Two mobile inspection routes were also approved for highways connecting to the state.
In addition to these controls, there is the phytosanitary agreement on the movement of avocados for export, published on October 1st, which regulates the transport of fresh avocados for export from orchards to authorized packing facilities. Its objective is to ensure the traceability of the fruit and compliance with the phytosanitary requirements of the destination markets.
Roadside inspections allow authorities to intercept shipments of infested fruit before they continue their journey. This occurred on October 28, when Senasica detected the two shipments mentioned and took the necessary measures to reduce the risk of the pest reaching other producing areas.
