The Country That Produces The Most Avocados (And They're Mostly Harvested By Hand)

Avocados are a versatile, nutrient-dense food that have surged in popularity in recent years. From the introduction of guacamole to America in the '90s to the internet's obsession with avocado toast, avocados have certainly gained superfood and superstar status. According to the USDA, consumption of avocados in the United States has increased from less than 3 pounds per person in 2001 to 8 pounds per person in 2018. While there are several countries that produce hundreds of thousands of avocados annually, Mexico is by far the biggest global producer of this in-demand fruit. In 2023, the USDA also noted that Mexico produced 2.65 million metric tons (MMT) of avocados and exported 1.4 MMT.

Amazingly, the majority of Mexican avocados are harvested by hand with hand-cutters or 15-foot picking poles. The poles have a sharp knife and a bag attached to the end that allows the pickers to cut the avocados by the stem and catch them before they fall. Skilled pickers can pick up to 1,000 pounds of avocados per day. It takes just a few days for avocados to reach grocery stores in the U.S. after being picked. 

Production of avocados in Mexico has continued to climb in the past several years due to U.S. and international demand, as well as increased consumption of avocados in Mexico. Mexico exports avocados to several countries including Canada, Japan, and Spain, however, the U.S. is the primary recipient of Mexican avocados. From 2019 to 2021, the United States received over 2.5 billion pounds of avocados from Mexico per year. 

The North American Free Trade Agreement, active from 1994 to 2020, was pivotal in allowing avocados to be imported from Mexico. Prior to NAFTA, the United States would not allow avocados to be imported from Mexico due to worry that the imported fruit could carry insects. Today, the majority (90%) of the U.S.'s avocado supply comes from imports, primarily Mexico, while U.S. production has been steadily decreasing since 2011. From 2019 to 2021, 88% of U.S. avocado imports came from Mexico, with Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Chile supplying the rest. Meanwhile, the largest U.S.-based producer of avocados by far is California.

Mexican avocados are primarily grown in three states in Mexico: Michoacán, Jalisco, and the State of Mexico. Of those regions, Michoacán accounts for the majority of production (73%) and before 2022 was the only region that exported avocados to the U.S. Michoacán, located in west-central Mexico, is known for its fertile, volcanic soil (from local volcano, Paricutín) and ideal weather conditions for growing tasty Mexican avocados year-round. 

There are over 34,000 avocado farmers in Mexico that are certified to export avocados to the U.S., many of whom own land that has been in their family for multiple generations. The majority of these farms are small orchards with around 5 hectares (a little over 12 acres) of land. The minimum requirement for an orchard to be certified to export to the U.S. is just 11 avocado trees.