Mexican avocado producers have destroyed up to 52 tons of fruit after authorities detected a destructive agricultural pest in shipments intended for international export to the U.S. and other destinations.
The seed weevil pest raises concerns about potential disruptions to U.S.-Mexico avocado trade, which generates an estimated $641.5 million in cross-border transportation and warehousing activity.
Environmental officials in Michoacán, Mexico’s largest avocado-producing state, confirmed Sunday that avocado seed weevil larvae had been discovered in fruit destined for export, according to Reuters.
The discovery prompted authorities to detain shipments, while growers from Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima and Nayarit destroyed up to 52 tons of avocados over the weekend.
Mexico’s National Service of Health, Food Safety and Food Quality (SENASICA) supported the disposal of the fruit as part of efforts to prevent the pest from spreading.
Videos circulating on social media showed growers unloading truckloads of avocados into pits, where the fruit was burned and buried under pest-control protocols.
The avocado seed weevil can damage fruit by boring into its seed and can spread through orchards, threatening production if infestations are not contained.
Michoacán Environment Minister Alejandro Méndez confirmed the pest discovery to Reuters and said the potentially contaminated avocados had not entered commercial markets.
The incident comes at a sensitive time for Mexico’s avocado industry, which relies heavily on refrigerated trucking and cross-border distribution networks to supply U.S. grocery stores, restaurants and food distributors.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mexico is forecast to export approximately 1.31 million metric tons of avocados worldwide in 2026, including roughly 1.2 million metric tons to the United States.
Michoacán and Jalisco are currently the only Mexican states authorized to export avocados to the U.S. market. Shipments must comply with phytosanitary requirements and inspections designed to prevent agricultural pests from entering the country.
The pest discovery follows other recent disruptions to Mexico’s avocado export industry.
In August, U.S. authorities temporarily suspended avocado export inspections in Michoacán following security concerns involving USDA personnel, interrupting shipments from the country’s largest production region, NBC reported.
More recently, avocado growers in Michoacán staged protests over low farm prices, disrupting harvesting and transportation operations. An Oct. 28 report by El País estimated that the demonstrations could reduce U.S.-bound avocado shipments from approximately 1,100 containers to 600 during the week.
The latest pest discovery adds another potential challenge for avocado exporters and the refrigerated trucking companies that transport produce from Mexican packinghouses to U.S. distribution centers.
Nearly 98% of Mexican avocados entering the U.S. in 2024 were transported by truck through Texas land ports, primarily through Pharr and Laredo.
Why it matters: Pest detections in Mexico’s avocado-producing regions could lead to additional inspections and shipment delays, potentially disrupting refrigerated trucking operations and the cross-border supply chain serving U.S. produce markets.
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