Mexico and the United States have agreed on a new security model for the avocado sector in Michoacán, which will allow the resumption of avocado exports to the neighboring country, Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla reported.
Mexico and the United States have agreed on a new security model for the avocado sector in Michoacán, allowing the resumption of avocado exports to the United States, Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla announced on Monday.
Avocado and mango exports from Michoacán to the United States had been suspended in mid-month due to a security incident involving two U.S. inspectors.
Earlier in his conference, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed his hope to resolve the conflict with the United States, which was triggered by a security incident that led to the suspension of Mexican avocado and mango imports.
“An agreement has already been reached, a security model for the inspectors,” stated Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez in a press conference alongside the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar. “Activity has been recovering since Saturday,” he added.
Ramírez Bedolla explained that the agreement will allow “the reinstatement of the inspectors’ work and thus reactivate the export of avocados and mangoes” to the United States. Salazar added that the goal is for the inspectors to be able to work as they have for years, without providing further details.
“The aggression that occurred on Friday night concerned us greatly,” commented the ambassador regarding the incident involving officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), who were Mexican.
On Friday, Salazar reported that USDA inspectors would gradually begin resuming avocado and mango inspections in Michoacán, a region facing issues with criminal groups that extort producers and commit crimes related to drug trafficking and illegal logging.
Official data indicates that Michoacán accounted for 90% of Mexico’s fresh or dried avocado exports in 2023, valued at approximately 3.168 billion dollars, with the United States as the main buyer, importing products worth 2.629 billion dollars.
The Association of Producers and Export Packers of Avocado from Mexico (APEAM) did not immediately respond to a request for comments, while one of the main exporting companies told Reuters that it had not yet quantified the economic losses caused by the incident.
In 2022, the United States also temporarily suspended avocado exports from Michoacán due to security issues for the inspectors.
