GRAPEVINE, Texas — With avocado prices running about double what it was this time last year, avocado marketers and buyers have to navigate tight availability this spring.
The USDA reported fob prices for size-48 Mexican avocados in south Texas at $72.85-$78.25 in late April, up from $34.35-$38.25 per carton a year ago.
Speaking at the Texas International Produce Association’s Viva Fresh Expo on April 23, Osvaldo Figueroa, marketing and customer service director at Henry Avocado Corporation, Escondido, Calif., said customers know the supply situation is rough.
“It is tough for us and our customer base,” he said. “They believe in us, and they understand how the industry is.”
While supply is tight now, Figueroa said that industry experts are projecting more volume from Mexico in the upcoming season.
“Hopefully, that will alleviate a little bit of the stress on the price, and we are confident that we will continue to grow,” he said.
Henry Avocado handles California and Mexican avocados.
“Our point is to have the best product out there, the freshest product,” he said. “For us, Mexico and California, obviously, have been the key to our success.”
The company expects market growth of 8%-10% per year going forward, Figueroa said. The company has ripening rooms in seven locations in the U.S., with one in both North Carolina and Arizona, three in California, and two in Texas.
