Super Bowl avocado exports expected to break record

Published January 16th, 2022

A record-breaking 140,000 tonnes of Mexican avocados are expected to be shipped to the United States in the lead-up to the 56th Super Bowl, to be played in Los Angeles on February 13.

José Luis Gallardo, president of the Mexican Association of Avocado Producers, Packers and Exporters, told the newspaper Milenio that about 25,000 tonnes of avocados are currently being shipped to the U.S. per week, while exports will ramp up in early February.

A total of 140,000 tonnes would represent a 4% increase over last year’s Super Bowl exports.

Avocados are in high demand in the United States prior to the National Football League championship game, largely because guacamole is a popular snack for football lovers glued to their screens.

“An event like the Super Bowl is very important; we’re prepared in Michoacán, which right now is the only state that can send avocados [to the U.S.],” Gallardo said.

Juan Anaya, CEO of agricultural consultancy GMCA, estimated that avocado exports for the big game will be worth US $356 million, or 10% of annual revenue from the U.S. market. “Demand increases 30% or 40% in February,” he said.

Gallardo said that just under 1.12 million tonnes of Mexican avocados were shipped to the United States last year, up from 962,000 tonnes in 2020. “It’s a product that is very well accepted in the United States,” he said.

“… The pandemic hasn’t hurt us, we continue working in Michoacán, the shipments keep leaving every day and the product continues to sell very well.”

Avocados are a major source of income in Michoacán, where farmers, packers, and cartels compete for their share of the “green gold” profits.