After a wait of almost ten years, final approval for avocado exports from Jalisco to the United States has been received, Mexico’s Agriculture Ministry announced this week.
Inspections of around 600 Jalisco orchards by U.S. Department of Agriculture personnel concluded at the start of July, while authorization for exports was granted on July 11.
Up until now, Michoacan has been the only state in Mexico permitted to export avocados to the United States.
Initially, Jalisco avocado growers will send between 3,000 and 5,000 tons of Hass avocado each week to the United States, said Javier Medina Villanueva, president of the Jalisco Association of Avocado Exporters (Apeajal).
Each year, Jalisco exports around 115,000 tons of avocados to 30 countries, including Canada, Japan, Spain, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, and others.
However, the United States is the biggest market for Mexican avocados. In 2021, avocado producers in Michoacan exported 1.08 million tons north of the border.