California’s avocado shippers plan to move their third-largest crop in a 10 years during the 2024-25 season, with an estimated production of 375 million pounds. This amounts to a 44% increase from the previous three-year average and a 3% increase from the previous year.
The Hass variety will make up about 95% of California’s crop, which totals approximately 355 million pounds. The remaining 5% will consists of Lamb, Gem, and other varieties. California typically supplies approximately 90% of the avocados produced in the United States.
However, the nation’s total domestic production only accounts for about 10% of the total avocado availability in the country, highlighting the country’s significant dependence on imports.
The United States imported a record $3.8 billion worth of fresh avocados in 2024, the highest amount ever reported in both nominal and inflation-adjusted terms. The majority of the value, approximately 91%, was sourced from Mexico, with the majority being classified as Hass-like (both conventional and organic).
The majority of these avocados were imported through the Laredo district in South Texas, while lesser volumes were imported through Philadelphia (primarily from Peru and Colombia) and Miami (primarily from the Dominican Republic and Colombia). A transportation problem in the U.S. market was caused by lower shipments from Mexico and Peru earlier in the year, despite the improved crop in California.
California’s 2024/25 shipments commenced in mid- January (earlier than is customary) and had already reached 8% of the projected crop by early March, surpassing the 4-year average of 5%. The state’s season may conclude prematurely if this tempo persists, as was the case in 2022. Meanwhile, Mexican shipments are expected to continue as harvest moves to higher elevation orchards in Michoacán and Jalisco, but overall volumes may ease through the middle of the year.
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