From today (Monday), Mexican Hass avocado growers are able to sell their fruit in 47 states in the United States year-round, due to a policy change issued on November 30 by the US Department of Agriculture.
The change expanded from 31 the number of states in which Mexico, the world's leading producer of avocados, may sell its fruit throughout the year. Previously, sales of Mexican Hass avocados were restricted to between October 15 and April 15 in many states.
However, California, Florida, and Hawaii, which lead the United States in avocado production, are exempted from the sales expansion for two years. The California Avocado Commission, which vigorously objected to the policy change, successfully lobbied for the exemption, pointing to concerns that crop-damaging pests might piggyback into the United States on Mexican avocados and groves.
The expansion of Mexican avocado sales is expected to result in about 141 million pounds of the fruit being imported into the US each year, say official sources.
But the California Avocado Commission believes the figure will be closer to 180mlbs annually, and has told its growers to expect Mexican imports to bite into their sales. The commission’s response is to fuel the demand for avocados using tools such as nationwide advertising.
"Be mad that your future is now less certain than before," commission president and chief executive officer Mark Affleck said. "After 10 years of 'imminency,' Mexico is here. But there is a plan."
Affleck and other commission leaders outlined strategies to build value for California avocados by establishing the fruit as a staple in consumers' kitchens.
North County grower Doug Marquart applauded Affleck and the commission for their efforts. "They're trying to chart a new course for California avocado growers," said Marquart, who grows avocados on 60 acres in Escondido. "The strategy is right on," he said.
As well as the nationwide advertising campaign, plans include the expansion of the commission's marketing team, and year-round public relations support for the industry. The strategy also incorporates AvoHQ.com - an intranet that links packers, importers and the more than 20,000 avocado growers in various nations.
Launched in November, AvoHQ.com enables users to exchange crop and marketing information with the goal of creating a controllable flow of avocados into the US market.
The opening up of new market capacity in the US is bound to have an effect on Mexican exports to continental Europe and the UK. Sendings to the UK have decreased in recent years due to greater opportunities in more convenient marketplaces and increased competition.
While US growers hope to stem the tide, there is little doubt that the flow of Mexican avocados will change direction.
