MEXICO CITY - Hass avocado imports from Mexico, the main ingredient of guacamole - a favorite Super Bowl snack, are now worth $4 billion, up from $2.5 billion two years ago, according to a new study by Texas A&M University.
A person in the United States eats an average of nine pounds 4 kg of Mexican avocados a year, according to the university researchers. That's up from just over a 1 pound 450 grams in 1990.
The report, funded by the Mexican Hass Avocado Importer Association, was seen by Reuters ahead of its public release on Thursday.
The US imports 1.1 million metric tons of the product in 2021, and is the main importer of Mexican avocados, according to the USDA.
Alvaro Luque, president of Avocados from Mexico, said that guac, a nickname for guacamole often used in the United States, has become a beloved staple among Americans of many backgrounds.
What we call the 'colossal consumer' of avocados in the US is related to non-Hispanic males, these guys are eating avocados like crazy, used in guacamole while watching their football games, Luque told Reuters.
Mexican avocados grow in Michoacan state, the only place on earth where avocado trees bloom four times a year instead of just once. The state has rich volcanic soil, healthy precipitation and the right elevation for growing, a trifecta of ideal avocado conditions.
Michoacan is one of the most troubled states in Mexico, convulsed by turf wars between criminal organizations.
In February, the U.S. temporarily suspended its avocado inspection program in the state after one of its officials received a threatening phone call. The report showed that the Mexican avocado industry did not take a major economic hit despite the setback.