Mexico
Cool weather put the brakes on most of western Mexico’s spring crop, delaying the start a bit, but importers say that what the crop may lack in early volume and timeliness will be made up for in quality.
“H.R. 2 does nothing to help U.S. agriculture and instead throws a longstanding foe in E-Verify in our faces,” California Fresh Fruit Association President Ian LeMay said in a statement.
U.S. distributors of Mexican tomatoes are pushing hard to blunt the effort by domestic producers to terminate the 2019 Suspension Agreement between Mexican tomato producers and the U.S. Commerce Department.
Mexico accounted for most U.S. avocado imports, and the volume of Mexican avocados increased 23% from 2017-18 to 2022-23.
March is a great month for the retail promotion of Champagne mangoes from Ciruli Bros. LLC.
The upcoming 2024 Mexican mango season is poised to be a record season as more retailers understand that mangoes can be positioned all summer long, says Tim Beerup, mango consultant for Mission Produce, Oxnard, Calif.
The partnership will form a 50/50 Mexican joint venture, Royal Champs S. de R.L. de C.V.
Hidalgo, Texas-based GM Produce Sales LLC is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a mango importer.
Mexican mango season got off to a slow start this year because of weather issues, but supplies should pick up as the season progresses, importers say.
The grower says it is the first private company in the Mexican state of Jalisco to receive this conservation certification, which will help preserve and protect various species.
The hass avocado producer says that it is leaning into a thoughtful ripening strategy and its owned Peruvian supply to deliver optimally sized fruit in the summer months.
Avocados From Mexico will be the title sponsor of the Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl.
With strong Mexican fruit volume, Los Angeles-based Giumarra provides a year-round supply of avocados to retail and foodservice clients throughout the U.S. and Canada.
With 2,900 acres of high-density avocado groves in Jalisco, Grupo Los Cerritos is the leading avocado exporter from Jalisco, says Sophia Cavaletto, sales representative.
Cotija Avocados is diversifying its offering into organics and value-added services, says Bryan Prihoda, president and chief financial officer of the hass avocado supplier.
With all eyes on football, Naturipe is ready to support promotions that Avocados From Mexico is launching, says Andy Bruno, president of Naturipe Farms’ avocado division.
Dana, Calif.-based Stonehill Produce has a year-round supply of Mexican avocados and offers its customers trusted intelligence on the avocado outlook, says Keith Slattery.
The 2023-24 Mexican avocado season is expected to produce plentiful volumes of excellent quality for both conventional and organic avocados, says Monica Robles, Mission Produce’s director of Mexico sourcing.
Calavo’s packinghouses in Michoacán and Jalisco are “the foundation of our Mexican avocado sourcing programs,” says Peter Shore, vice president of produce management.
Using duties to replace the suspension agreement that regulates U.S. imports of Mexican tomatoes would make things far worse for the U.S. tomato market, says Javier Badillo of the FPAA in this guest column.
Rio Rico, Ariz.-based SunFed expects to move slightly more Mexican produce in 2024 compared to last year, despite weather challenges early in the year.
The time is now for retail promotions of Mexican produce, distributors say.
Rio Rico, Ariz.-based Ciruli Brothers is aiming for a 10% increase in its volume of Mexican produce this year, said Chris Ciruli, chief operating officer.
Fresh Farms says it is also developing creative marketing solutions to help its retail customers maximize their return on investment.
The company has an organic mango program, as well as an organic valencia and grapefruit program that supplies the market demand from November through June, says Jason Laffer, vice president of sales.
The USDA on June 17 paused inspections of mangoes and avocados after agency inspectors were reportedly held and physically assaulted in the Mexican state.
La Escuela de Asociados, which is Spanish for the School of Associates, is a key component of Grupo Alta’s recruitment process when new workers from the southern states of Mexico migrate north for employment.
Mexican mango grower-shipper Urapa Produce has announced the start of its mango season.
The value of U.S. tomato imports from Mexico from October 2022 through September 2023 reached $2.7 billion.
New developments at the Nogales, Ariz.-based company include year-round supplies of cucumbers and squash, said Steve Spence, director of sales.