Mexican, Chilean avocado volumes ramping up

Shipments of Chilean and Mexican avocadoes will continue to increase, with importers expecting strong demand and promotable supplies.

 

 

Heading into the Chilean and Mexican avocado seasons, the forecast was for big volumes, said Rob Wedin, vice president of sales and marketing for Santa Paula, Calif.-based Calavo Growers Inc.

 

 

That prediction held true in August, Wedin said, but by September, shipments had slowed. In Mexico, extreme drought was the cause for the lower-than-expected volumes, he said. And for Chile, it was a case of getting out of the gate too fast, and suffering through plummeting prices.

 

 

“It got off to a great start, then slowed to a crawl the first two weeks of September,” he said.

By the third week of September, however, things were stabilizing, Wedin said.

“The Chilean harvest program is much more realistic now,” he said Sept. 21.

 

 

On Sept. 22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported a price of US$36.25 for two-layer cartons of size-40 hass avocadoes from Chile, up from US$30.25-32.25 last year at the same time.

 

 

Movement was strong in mid-September due to aggressive retail and foodservice promotions, said Avi Crane, president of Prime Produce International LLC, Orange, Calif.

 

 

Mexican volumes should steadily rise throughout the fall, Wedin said.

 

 

The week of Sept. 14, Mexican weekly shipments were up 35% over the week before. Chilean volumes, after they stabilized following the too-fast start, would also likely begin to rise steadily.