Mexico's fruit export values showed a 18.9% year-on-year increase for 2011 to US$2.8 billion, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development and Fishing (SAGAPRA).

The ministry said the country was among the top exporters of avocados, watermelons, mangoes, papayas, lemons and grapes to the U.S..

Since 1994 to 2010 the country's fruit shipments have increased at an annual rate of 8.7% to 2.6 million metric tons (MT).

He said Mexico was the world's leading avocado producer with volumes of 1.1 million MT per year, over 40% of international production, followed by Chile with 238,000MT. In 2011, 349,000MT of avocados were exported worth more than US$900 million.

Over the last 10 years Mexico has show an annual 20% growth in international avocado trade, from 71,000MT in 2001 to 369,000MT in 2010, the main destination is United States, followed by Japan

Internationally, Mexico is the second-largest producer of lemons with 1.9 million MT and the largest exporter of citrus with 453,000MT, supplying  92.5% of U.S. demand.

Mexico's watermelon exports account for 22.9% of world trade and it has shown an 8% annual growth rate over the last decade. In 2011, 542,000MT of watermelons were sold abroad exceeding a value of $US246 million.

The country is also the second largest mango exporter at 269,000MT supplying 60% of U.S. demand, the largest import market.

Mexico's papaya exports are also significant, reaching 121,000MT in 2011 out of the 616,000MT volumes for that year.

The country is also one of the top 10 grape exporters worldwide selling 137,000MT in 2011 worth more than US$141 million.

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