Super Bowl pushes imports of Mexican avocados to record high

>>WASHINGTON: Americans gearing up for the Super Bowl today helped push imports of Mexican avocados to the best week of all time.

Almost 34 million kilogrammes crossed the border from the world’s largest exporter of the fruit in the week through Jan 19, according to the Haas Avocado Board. That’s up 3% from the same period in 2019.

The industry is making a concerted push to capitalise on the peak avocado consumption day in the US when consumers across the country buy guacamole in preparation for the game. In 2018, Mexico exported 1.1 billion kilogrammes of avocados to the US.

“We expect to see volumes continue to trend upward,” said Alvaro Luque, the president and chief executive officer of industry association Avocados From Mexico. “Even at full production levels, the US cannot fully supply the demand, creating a complementary relationship between US and Mexican avocado farmers.”

Mr Luque added that retailers across the country are promoting avocados heavily during the leadup to the Super Bowl and that his organisation has partnered with hot sauce maker Cholula and beer brand Bud Light for a promotional campaign.

Mexico still remains the top supplier to the US with 87% of market share in 2018, according to a December report from the US Agriculture Department. As a result, producers in the Latin American nation are also looking to increase their yields to meet booming global demand.

The record week is good news for the industry, which has faced issues related to cartel violence as groups seek to muscle in on the increasingly profitable avocado trade. Last year, a potential security incident led the USDA to briefly suspend Mexico’s Haas Avocado Program certification activities in Michoacan state.