• LOCKDOWNS: The shutdown of restaurants and hotels across the US due to the coronavirus emergency caused a decline of 30% in the volume of Mexican avocado exports in April when compared to the same month a year ago, according to expert estimates.
• ESTIMATES: Based on Mexican government data, agricultural consulting group GCMA estimates that US shutdowns also generated a 46% drop in the value of Mexican avocado exports in April when compared to April of last year. The overwhelming majority of Mexico’s avocado exports go to the US.
• FORECAST: “(The month of) May will be somewhat similar (to April) and we hope that June will improve with the reopening in the US”, said Juan Carlos Anaya, head of GCMA, who estimates that the volume of Mexican avocado exports in April was 88,000 tonnes at a value of US $211.1 million.
• RECORD: One of Mexico’s signature agricultural products, total exports of Mexican avocados to the US totaled 888,000 tonne in the 2018/2019 marketing year. Experts estimate that Mexican avocado exports to the US will surpass for the first time one million tonnes during the 2019/2020 marketing year.
