Bloomberg Línea — The final countdown to the biggest American football party has begun ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Arizona in the Feb. 12 Super Bowl, and Mexico’s avocado farmers are anticipating being among the winners as consumption of the fruit among TV viewers soars.
According to Mexico’s association of avocado producers, packers and exporters (APEAM), the first shipment of more than 64,000 tons has already been sent to the US, while the total shipment is expected to be 130,000 tons for the event, exceeding last year’s 100,000 tons.
The average shipment for the event is 140,000 tons, or about 144 billion avocados, according to APEAM.
Avocados from Mexico, the brand representing the country’s exporters, is the predominant brand in the US in terms of sales, and will participate for the eighth time in the Super Bowl. Avocados and guacamole have become a classic accompaniment before and during the game that brings the whole nation together in front of the TV, and which is the result of the promotional campaigns of the Mexican product that producers have carried out during the last decade.
According to Avocados From Mexico, this season they are close to reaching the average of recent years with 113,000 tons of Mexican avocados imported in the four weeks before the big game.
According to APEAM, Mexican avocados lead the world in production and exports, with more than 1.6 million tons. Mexico exports to 34 countries, while the states of Michoacán and Jalisco stand out as the only ones that can export to the United States.
On January 17, the APEAM tweeted that it had begun its shipments to coincide with the Super Bowl:
Avocado exports in figures
The United States’ import ban on Mexican avocados at the beginning of 2022 triggered a price increase in the country of 19%, peaking at around $72 per pack during the last weeks of June, according to Hass Avocado Board.
“Import volumes experienced a year-on-year decline of 58%. However, the US remains the number one importer of avocados, with more than 1,116 pounds supplied to the market during 2022,″ according to industry news portal Freshfruit, and Mexico is the world’s leading avocado exporter, with more than 6.72 billion pounds sold in the last three years, with the US taking 80% of that volume.
“Inflation has affected almost all industries. In the last year, prices of fresh produce, including avocados, have increased. However, the trend is reversing and in the last few weeks we have seen more competitive prices for the consumer in the market. Additionally, we are entering a season of many promotions, resulting in a better commercial dynamic for the category,” Alvaro Luque, CEO of Avocados From Mexico, said.
Given the importance of avocados to Mexico’s economy, Avocados From Mexico will reinforce its presence with a commercial that will be aired before the second quarter of the game begins, for which it paid $6 million, which buys two versions of the advertisement, one lasting 15 seconds and the other 30 seconds, José Armando López Orduña, APEAM’s director, told the press.