Avocado producers in Mexico mobilize to raise prices

Chronicle of raw materials Avocado producers in Mexico are mobilized to raise prices Published on: 04/11/2026 - 00:05

Listen - 02:11 More than 50 tons of avocados were destroyed for health reasons in Mexico. These fruits were intended for export to the United States, but were found to be infested with larvae of a devastating insect, the weevil. This discovery highlights tensions between different Mexican regions, in a very particular market configuration.

The blockade operated by Michoacan producers has, however, been partly circumvented: those called “packers” – who buy from producers and package the goods for export – have managed to bring in avocados from other Mexican regions which have not joined the protest movement and are taking advantage of the context to sell their fruit, this is particularly the case from the Jalisco region.

The discovery of an infestation on cargo belonging to those who do not play the game therefore suits the protesters and as such also takes on a political dimension.

The United States has held out until now thanks to its stocks, but if the movement continues, it will become very complicated. Even if the blockage were to end today, getting the harvest back on track and shipments resuming will take time. Producers should therefore succeed in raising prices. To see if this increase will be lasting, or simply an artifact.

The specificity of this trade between the two countries is that prices are constantly discussed. “Negotiations are permanent and daily,” explains Éric Imbert, researcher at the Center for International Cooperation in Agronomic Research for Development (CIRAD), and concern 20 to 30,000 tonnes of avocados crossing the border every week.

The ultra-dependence of the American market also explains these recurring tensions. We are talking about the largest market in the world, 1.3 million tonnes imported, 90% from Mexico. Roughly speaking, when the Mexican offer is lacking, the Americans find themselves without a lawyer. Despite the risks of rupture linked to this almost exclusive commercial relationship, the country has not relaxed its regulations.

This also means that producers who are gaining strength in the sector, in South America or the Mediterranean (Morocco and Israel in particular) will have to, in the coming years, concentrate on the European market, the other major consumption area.

In this market, prices could fall in the long term, especially if consumption does not increase. Today it is less than 2 kilos per inhabitant per year, compared to 4 kilos in the United States, and therefore has significant room for improvement, notes Éric Imbert.

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Machine-translated from French