New facility expands upon the company’s vertically integrated global sourcing network to serve global markets year-round

Mission Produce Guatemala facility launch 2025

Mission Produce has inaugurated its new state-of-the-art packinghouse in Guatemala.

According to the company, the milestone expands upon its vertically integrated global sourcing network to serve global markets year-round.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on 24 April and was attended by president of Guatemala Bernardo Arévalo and US ambassador to Guatemala Tobin Bradley,

Mission said it marked ”a significant moment in the country’s emergence as a key player in global avocado production”.

“Our strategic investment in Guatemala elevates our position as a global leader in the worldwide avocado business and year-round supplier of the ’world’s finest avocados’,” said Steve Barnard, Mission’s chief executive officer.

“Guatemala brings great value to our diversified sourcing strategy as a premium growing region with abundant resources, optimal harvest timing and a centralised geographic position.

”With two crops annually, Guatemala bridges supply gaps during key periods throughout the year, enhancing our ability to meet the increasing global demand for avocados,” Barnard outlined.

”Our new facility will enable us to meet demand more efficiently with greater quality control for customers in the UK, Europe – and soon, the US.”

President Arévalo explained that, with Mission’s investment in the new facility, it was not only adding value to national production but was also paving the way for a more competitive, sustainable, and inclusive economy.

“In 2024, avocado exports generated over Q120.761mn (US$15.5mn) for Guatemala and supported more than six thousand jobs, both directly and indirectly,” he noted.

”This progress is a testament to the potential of our agricultural sector and the strength of international partnerships.

”Together, we are building a future where avocados from Guatemala reach more markets and more Guatemalan families benefit from that growth,” said Arévalo.

Bradley pointed out that the US market was hungry for avocados.

”The demand is there, and with continued collaboration and high standards, Guatemala is in a position to take advantage of this great economic opportunity.”

Expected to launch in August 2025, Mission’s Guatemala packinghouse is ”engineered for peak performance”, the group said.

The facility features the latest quality assurance and food safety technology, including precision temperature management and automated grading and sorting systems, designed to maintain fruit integrity and promote the long-lasting quality of avocados from Guatemala.

“Guatemala is a rising force in the global avocado industry, and Mission Produce is leading the development of the region for global avocado production,” said Juan Rodolfo Wiesner, president of Mission Produce, South and Central America.

“Modelling the success of our vertical integration in Peru, our farming and packing operations in Guatemala are built to produce high-quality avocados from the ground up.

”In addition, our team has spent several years building relationships with the local grower base, leveraging our extensive experience as a global distributor to increase the acceptance of avocados from Guatemala to global markets,” he added.

Mission first established vertical integration and farming operations in the country in 2020 with the long-term lease of the Cerro Redondo avocado farm.

As of the end of Mission’s fiscal 2024, the Company had planted 728ha on the land with expectations to plant up to 1,000ha and reach full production by 2026.