Avocado exports from the Mexican state of Michoacán could be at risk after 2,359 irregularities were found in the supply chain over the last 18 months, website Laopiniondemichoacan.com.mx reported.

The flaws were found in the areas of production, packing and transport, representing around 2% of the state's avocadoes that were bound for the U.S. market, the story reported.

National Food Safety and Health Service director general Javier Trujillo Arriaga, met with industry leaders from all parts of the supply chain to warn them if they continued not to comply with standards there would be sanctions, the story reported.

Trujillo Arriaga told the website the 2% of flawed production was rejected and incinerated, representing a small amount of the total 300,000 metric tons (MT) the state expected to export this year.

He emphasized the importance of the quality and safety processes if avocado exports to the U.S. were to continue.

The story reported there were not enough people involved in cutting orchards, leading to too many weeds, fallen branches, and harvesters collecting fruit off the ground.

In terms of packing, there were labelling problems found in different cartons, while in transport there were trucks found carrying avocadoes in broken mesh boxes, mixed with fruits from other orchards that had not been programmed.

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