Mexico’s Avocado Sector Gears Up for the Big Game Day

The avocado harvest season in Michoacán, Mexico coincides with the American football Super Bowl, which for many local farmers is their own version of the championship game.

The Super Bowl provides a significant economic boost to numerous Mexican households, as they work diligently to supply 138,000 tons of avocados to meet the demands of the event’s festivities, particularly for guacamole, a fan-favorite.

The anticipation for the Feb. 11 game, which features the San Francisco 49ers against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, includes avocados from Michoacán as a staple part of the game day experience.

Héctor Avilés, general manager of Abokados, a leading avocado packing facility in Mexico, explains how both regions celebrate the avocado on Super Bowl day; Michoacán for its labor-intensive harvest leading up to it and the U.S. for enjoying the fruit.

Michoacán is responsible for about 80% of the U.S. avocado import from Mexico. The preparation starts six weeks prior to the Super Bowl, as entire communities partake in various production stages such as planting, harvesting, and packaging before being transported to the U.S.

Avilés mentions the importance of the avocado industry in providing legitimate work and preventing people from falling into organized crime within the region.

A winding path to the north

During the peak season, trucks loaded with avocados head north to the U.S. every seven minutes. Each truck typically transports 132,000 avocados valued between $80,000 and $100,000, and the trek involves traveling through some of Mexico’s less safe regions.

Upon arrival in the U.S., the cargo is carefully sealed and inspected by American and Mexican authorities, following a journey that covers approximately 12-14 hours by day through several Mexican states.

Despite precautionary measures, the threat of theft by criminal groups persists, leading to losses of numerous shipments each year. Escort services are sometimes employed to mitigate this risk during high value periods.

Avilés reflects on the lost shipments of the previous years, emphasizing the swift and efficient methods criminal organizations employ to hijack the cargo.

From restriction to rapid growth

Despite past bans due to pests, Mexican avocados have flourished into one of the major exports to the U.S., with sales spiking during the months leading up to the Super Bowl.

Strict protocols and security accompany the entire production and exportation process to ensure traceability and adherence to standards.

Avocado trees take several years to mature and are monitored throughout the cultivation process, with picked fruit headed for rigorous sorting and packing before reaching the U.S. consumer.

The local tradition turns into a community gathering where laborers partake in the harvest from dawn to dusk, and over 200 workers are needed to load just one shipping truck.

Avilés emphasizes the inclusiveness of the industry in providing jobs to people who might not be aware of the Super Bowl but recognize the season as a time of abundant work and income.

Football and avocados: Celebrating together

The fever pitch of avocado demand is in February, as the NFL season culminates. Orchards operate incessantly to supply the fruit for Super Bowl festivities, but the perishable nature limits the inventory, preventing advance purchasing.

With size variations, avocados from California, despite being a local producer, are largely supplanted by imports from Michoacán, which also send a considerable amount of product to Texas, the prime purchasing state.

As the Super Bowl kicks off, a significant portion of the avocados consumed by viewers in the U.S. come from the efforts of Mexican farmers, whose passion for the fruit is much more than just a source of revenue—it’s a way of life.