Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agricultural markets

Boost for Mexican Avocado industry

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

Mexican Hass avocado growers were excited to receive training in an alternative non-destructive way of determining avocado maturity.

Avocado is one of the most popular fruits in the American continent. According to the Association of Producers and Packers, Exporters of Avocado in Mexico (APEAM AC), in 2016 Mexico exported 943,621.5 ton mainly to USA, Canada, Japan and China. This trade seems bound to increase, as there is now more awareness of its nutritional profile and indications are that its popularity in countries such as China is growing.  Getting the avocado at the right time in the marketplace is however tricky.  So far, growers have been relying on a method for testing the readiness for harvesting avocados prior to packing and shipping, which results in loss of thousands of kilos of the fruit.  Why?  Since the dry matter content of avocado is used as an indicator of its maturity, conventional methods typically involves microwaving the avocado to determine its dry weight. 

Mexican Hass avocado growers were therefore excited to receive training in an alternative non-destructive way of determining avocado maturity. Recently conducted in avocado growing regions of Mexico: Xalisco, Nayarit; Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco and Uruapan, Michoacan, the training was well received by over 150 growers, packers and technicians who felt that there were several advantages to using the specially designed portable spectrometer, as it eliminated the substantial loss of fruit. Importantly, the non-destructive method allows a greater number of fruits to be tested and provides increased confidence about the optimal harvesting time. Lead by the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP) and Felix Instruments, the session benefited from years of collaborative research and contribution by the trilateral agricultural platform – PROCINORTE (USA, Canada, Mexico) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, IICA, which promotes productive and sustainable agriculture in the Americas.

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Audia Barnett

IICA Canada Representative

audia.Barnett@iica.int

Share

Related news​

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

July 14, 2025

The President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, honors IICA Director General Manuel Otero for his contributions to sustainable agriculture, food security, and regional integration

During the ceremony, Abinader spoke with Otero about the possibilities of increasing IICA’s cooperation with the Dominican Republic on matters such as livestock development and trade promotion. They also discussed a number of other topics, including the strengthening of agricultural health and generational renewal in the agriculture sector in Central America and the Caribbean.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Catamarca and Posadas, Argentina

July 11, 2025

IICA takes part in training sessions on innovation and technology use in agriculture for students and teachers from 530 Argentine schools

More information: Institutional Communication Division. comunicacion.institucional@iica.int

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

July 11, 2025

Maritza Solano Arce, an entrepreneur who proved that high-quality gourmet cheeses can be produced in Costa Rica’s rural areas, is named an IICA Leader of Rurality of the Americas

Maritza produces twenty-five different varieties, including raclette, hard Gruyere cheeses, bloomy rind cheeses, such as Camembert and Brie, tomme cheeses and creamy gourmet cheeses in five different flavors.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins