The avocado season in Mexico is progressing well, though the volumes in some regions of the country have decreased slightly due to cooler weather. Organic avocado grower Asayan Mexico grows their avocados on a total of 130 hectares, which are divided between their two locations of Ziracuaretiro, Michoacán and Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco.
Growing demand for organic avocados
Asayan Mexico currently has two main markets that they export to but increasing global demand for organic avocados has brought opportunities for the company to start expanding their markets. “Currently, about 70% of our product is exported to the Netherlands and the other 30% goes to Spain. But we are looking to reach new markets such as China, Japan, and Canada. These markets are growing a lot in the organic sector – with an average growth of about 15% compared with last year – so they’re very interesting markets for us,” says Ana Haro.
In addition to looking to fill the growing demand for organic avocados, the company is also looking to expand their market so they can export their avocados year-round. “The window of sales in Europe for the Mexican avocados is only for 6 to 8 months, from June to December or January, depending on the season. Since the Mexican avocado production is for the whole year, we need to look to other markets to be able to continue shipping our available supplies,” Haro explains.
Steady volumes and demand
The avocado production in Mexico has three main seasons, Haro shares. “We produce from May to July, from August to November and from December to April. Right now, we are finishing up the season and getting started on the new one. Because the weather in one of our production regions has been quite cool recently, the production volumes from there will be lower for the next months. But, in other areas the volume is actually up because of the good weather, so it will even itself out and the overall volumes will remain steady,” she says. Despite the volumes remaining steady, the pricing could be a little unstable: “The prices could change a little because in the region where the avocado volumes are lower right now, the price will increase, and the other regions will adjust to this change. This could be a challenge we see in the coming season.”
The market remains steady, too, despite the challenges brought by the pandemic. “The market is a little slow, but because avocado has become a staple commodity around the world the demand has remained steady. Despite the closures of restaurants and hotels due to the pandemic, the continued and increased demand from the consumers for avocados has helped level the avocado market. The pandemic has definitely slowed everything down a little, but it is not a huge problem,” Haro concludes.
