The international avocado market commands a remarkable presence, with new competitors entering the game and well-known powerhouses, such as Peru and Mexico, continuing to build up steam.

FreshFruitPortal.com rounds up April's top stories so far about the avocado world.

California avocado season on track amid rising input costs

A rainy 2023 brought much-needed replenishment for water storage reservoirs, Cayucos avocado grower Daryn Miller tells FreshFruitPortal.com. Miller works at his family’s farm in coastal San Luis Obispo County.

In late February, the California Avocado Commission (CAC) forecasted 208 million pounds to be produced by the state in the 2024-25 season. Miller estimated that the figure could go up to 210 million pounds across approximately 50,000 acres planted in the state.

Photo courtesy of CAC.

Mexico remains avocado king, amid Latin American focus on growth

Mexico reached avocado production volume of 1.9 million tons during 2023, according to Mexico's Ministry of Agriculture, making it the main avocado producer in Latin America and the world.

Meanwhile, according to FAO, Colombia has become the second largest avocado producer, with production close to 980,000 tons, followed by Peru, with over 770,000 tons, and Chile with 150,000 tons.

Mexican avocado hub poised for another year of growth

With a forecasted 5% growth in production for 2024, the Mexican avocado sector continues to reign supreme. A recent report by the USDA puts this year’s production at 2.77 million tons as trade and demand remain strong.

US orgs urge ban on Mexican avocados linked to deforestation

More than 25 organizations urged the U.S. State Department to stop imports linked to recent deforestation in Mexico. Illegal deforestation is imperiling monarch butterfly habitat, the letter says, and the issue undermines international pledges made by both countries to halt these practices.

An estimated 10 football fields of forest in Mexico are cleared every day to create avocado plantations, says the message, distributed by the Center for Biological Diversity.

South Africa begins first avocado export campaign to China

A 2023 trade agreement to export South African Hass avocados to China finally came to fruition at the end of March, according to avocado supplier Westfalia. Supply is expected to remain available for seven months, from April to October. 

The partnership was decided after last year’s BRICS summit announcement to narrow the trade deficit between both countries by increasing South African exports to China. 

Mexican avocado company ordered to pay reparations in labor case

RV Fresh Foods faces reparation orders, handed down by Mexico’s Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), following a labor investigation into workers' freedom of association and collective bargaining rights at its Uruapan plant.

This comes after a Feb. 16 request from the United States, asking the Mexican government to probe labor practices by the supplier in Michoacán, the country’s top producer. The inquiry was presented under a trilateral trade agreement between the two countries and Canada (UMSCA).

Brazil's avocado campaign booms in Europe

Brazil’s avocado sector is growing quickly, as growers see increased demand from local buyers and international markets like the Netherlands and Argentina.

In 2023, Brazil saw its exports more than double to 1,090 containers, according to data compiled by Avobook. That’s more than five times the country’s 2013 export volume.

Peru ranks as second-largest avocado exporter in 2024

Despite struggling with adverse weather throughout 2023, the Peruvian sector scored a 79% rise in exports in the first two months of 2024. 

A total of 36,360 tons were shipped to destination markets for a total revenue of USD $75.4 million, according to Sierra y Selva Exportadora, an affiliate of Peru’s Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI). The value represents a 73% uptick year-on-year.

Peruvian grower on the field.