CALIFORNIA, MEXICO, & PERU - Exclusive insights have arrived, and today they hail from the ever-popular avocado sector. With high-quality fruit from Mexico currently hitting the market, Freska Produce International’s Gary Clevenger and Giumarra Companies’ Gary Caloroso shared some updates regarding volume, pricing, and much more.
“Current volume out of Mexico has come down a bit over the past week,” shared Gary Clevenger, Managing Partner at Freska Produce. “Quality has been very good with ‘crazy flower’ avocados—these are the harvest that comes early before the main crop in Mexico. Quality has been very good, with good oil content and green avocados. Last week, Mexico sent around 1,050 shipments to the U.S., which is about the highest for this season so far.”
With good quality coming in from Mexico, Freska Produce International advises retailers to promote ripe fruit mixed with green fruit, supported by year-round, permanent large displays.
Other successful strategies include cross-merchandising avocados with tomatoes, mangos, guacamole mixes, or ingredients for salads.
“Pricing is at a very good level,” Gary went on to note. “Large fruit is low volume and the highest pricing while 48’ and smaller seem to be the volume they have at the moment. Prices have been adjusting according to demand for each size with 48’s falling the most over the past week, 60’s remaining relatively stable, and 70’s and 84’s remaining strong demand.”
Giumarra Companies’ Gary Caloroso also shared some insight, noting some trends in consumer demand.
“In the fall, avocado supplies from Mexico increase, while those from California and Peru decrease,” Gary, Giumarra’s Regional Business Development Director, shared. “Nationwide consumer demand for avocados continues to grow. Despite the higher overall market volume in 2024, the industry saw rising prices. This year, California avocado production rose to over 340 million pounds, up from more than 225 million pounds the previous year.”
Giumarra Companies’ portfolio includes a 52-week avocado program for its North American customers, with both conventional and organic avocados available.
“For supermarket retailers, we tailor our program to include bulk, bagged, and pre-conditioned avocados that meet their specific needs and exceed shopper expectations,” Gary added, spotlighting the grower’s commitment to its customers. “For our foodservice clients, we precisely ripen avocados to their desired specifications to ensure a successful program. We are also incredibly proud of our ongoing partnership with Fair Trade USA. We continue to expand our Fair Trade Certified™ avocado program from Mexico.”
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