During its second year of avocado exports to the U.S. Jalisco growers are satisfied with the results this season. So far, the Mexican state has exported 42,834 tons of avocados to the U.S., 45% of the total share of exports. 

Exports have increased year-on-year and exporters expect that with the Super Bowl in February, they will nearly double the amount of total exports from 2022-23.

“We still have fruit to keep exporting this season to our markets, especially to the U.S. for the big event and for the Cinco de Mayo celebrations,” Eleazer Oceguera, president of the Association of Exporting Producers of Avocados of Jalisco (APEAJAL) tells FreshFruitPortal.com. 

Preparations for the Super Bowl 

The main event for Mexican avocados in the U.S. is the Super Bowl, which is why growers in Jalisco are getting ready to offer a strong supply during that time. 

“Our growers have strong and high-quality supply prepared for the Super Bowl and we want to make sure to do things right and we maintain the positive reputation of Mexican fruit,” says Oceguera.

APEAJAL functions as a support for APEAM which is in charge of all promotion campaigns for Mexican avocados in the U.S. This joint work has helped grow the visibility and recognition of the fruit in America. 

Lessons learned

The main challenge for Jalisco growers has been to maintain the quality of exported fruit, which is why members of the industry have become very demanding in terms of the fruit that qualifies for exportation, according to Oceguera.

“It has to be a good product that our consumers enjoy because that benefits the Mexican industry as a whole,” says Oceguera. 

The post-harvest work is critical in this sense because taking care of the fruit throughout the entire supply chain guarantees the quality of the product upon arrival. 

American consumer demands

American consumers are increasingly expecting better quality and bigger sizes for avocados, which is why Oceguera says they are focusing on providing good dry matter in every fruit they are producing. 

Oceguera insists that Jalisco is “doing things the right way” by focusing on environmental issues with appropriate water usage and reforestation. 

“We are working really hard to show the world that our industry works for the environment,” he says. 

Growth plans

Jalisco has increased its production volume constantly every year, which is why the state’s growers have a very aggressive expansion plan and expect to increase export volumes yearly. 

“We have increased our acreage and are expecting to double our exports to the U.S. next year. Having early and late varieties guarantees our year-round supply of avocados towards our markets,” says Oceguera.

Growers who were initially skeptical of joining the export project have been convinced thanks to the guarantee that they will be able to sell their fruit in the U.S. The geographic location of Mexico neighboring the U.S. makes it an extremely profitable and quick market for exporters. 

“In the past two years we have started working with around 500 new growers in different municipalities of Jalisco which bring 12,300 new acres of plantations, bringing total production area to 49,400 certified acres for the U.S. market,” says Oceguera.