Small avocado growers’ strike cuts Mexican exports to the United States
The protest, which is demanding that avocado prices be raised to 45 pesos a kilogram, has nearly halved shipments to its main export market
Avocado harvesting has come to a halt in parts of Michoacán, Mexico’s leading producer and exporter of the fruit. Small growers have called a strike to demand a substantial increase in the price they receive from packing houses, distributors and exporters, a move that has already affected nearly half of shipments to their main buyer, the United States.
The Union of Small Producers of Michoacán (PUAM) called the strike this week, demanding a price of up to 45 pesos ($2.40) per kilogram, compared with the roughly 13 pesos ($0.70) they currently receive. Producers argue that living conditions for farm workers have deteriorated and that growers receive only a small share of the profits, with most of the gains from the avocado trade flowing to intermediaries and distributors.
“We are the ones who face pests, droughts, rising fertilizer costs, labor and all the risks of production,” PUAM said in a statement. “And while our avocados continue to sell at high prices abroad, here the producer has to accept what they are offered.”
Producers have set up roadblocks and peaceful occupations at several Local Plant Health Boards (JLSV), which are responsible for the phytosanitary inspections required for exports.
“There is widespread discontent among producers,” said Valentín Rodríguez, a Michoacán grower and manager of packing and marketing company Avocados Don Goyo. “Meanwhile, price is, sadly, not something that can be controlled by pressure tactics, by blocking roads or takeovers of plant health boards. It responds to different supply-and-demand dynamics. The industry is also sending the wrong signal to consumers and major importers in the United States: if Mexico does not supply the avocados the U.S. consumes, then Ecuador, Colombia or Peru will.”
The United States buys about $3.65 billion worth of avocados a year, much of which is turned into guacamole and other avocado-based products. For growers in Michoacán, the U.S. accounts for 99% of their market, meaning any disruption to shipments leaves them vulnerable to lost income and unsold produce.
Rodríguez said that, of the 1,100 containers originally scheduled to be shipped to the U.S. border this week, only about 600 are now expected to make the journey after two consecutive days without harvesting. As of Tuesday afternoon, growers and buyers had yet to reach an agreement, with demands also including higher wages for avocado pickers.
Mexico is the world’s leading avocado producer, and Mexican Hass avocados account for nearly 30% of global output. In 2025, the country exported a record 1.22 million metric tons, and exports are projected to reach 1.32 million tons in 2026, with Michoacán leading shipments despite avocados being grown in 30 of the country’s 32 states.
During the first four months of this year, Mexico increased avocado shipments to the United States by 35%, exporting 501,824 metric tons, according to the Economy Ministry, reflecting the deep commercial integration between the two countries. The U.S. is also the world’s second-largest avocado consumer, behind only Mexico, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The Association of Avocado Producers and Exporting Packers of Mexico (APEAM), the industry’s main trade group, said it is open to hearing proposals from growers, farmworkers and pickers.
The demands also include the implementation of VELAGRO (Labor Verification for Agricultural Exports), a mechanism under which certain agricultural exports can only be shipped if exporters can demonstrate that their supply chains comply with labor and social security laws. Introduced on October 1, the system places responsibility on exporters — in this case avocado exporters — to verify that all participants in their supply chains operate formally and in compliance with labor regulations. Although small growers are not required to obtain the certification themselves, the mechanism could become a barrier to market access for producers operating in the informal economy.
In August 2026, avocado exports were briefly suspended for three days after a security alert issued by Washington in response to a surge in violence linked to drug-trafficking organizations prompted on-site USDA inspectors to leave their posts in Michoacán, bringing export certification operations to a halt. The episode led the government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to strengthen security measures, although growers say the underlying problem persists.
Avocados account for nearly 9% of Mexico’s total agricultural and food exports. It is therefore no surprise that the latest dispute between growers and farmworkers has also reverberated through local politics. Responding to the protests, Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla argued that the industry should diversify its markets.
“It is impossible for the government to set a price for avocados,” he told reporters. “Producers are demanding that APEAM improve the price. I think APEAM has for years failed to explore new markets and urgently must seek new markets [...] We are not alone; there is global competition. The Chinese market, for example, is already much larger than the North American market and they import from Kenya and South Africa.”
Mexico exports avocados to more than 30 countries, although the United States accounts for the overwhelming majority of sales. Outside the U.S. market, the main destinations are Canada, Japan, El Salvador and Honduras, followed by countries including Spain, France, the Netherlands, China and South Korea. Brazil has recently joined Mexico’s diversification strategy after the two countries reached an agreement opening the Brazilian market to Mexican avocados.
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