MEXICO CITY – The Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, or SAGARPA, reports that avocado exports for the first half of this year have increased 29% over the same period in 2013.

Total avocado sales equaled $794,446,000 between January and June 2014, which represents an estimated 353,000 tons.

According to the SAGARPA report, avocados from Mexico were marketed in 21 markets including the United States, Japan, Canada, China, the Netherlands and many more.  China saw the most growth in this time period with $2,970,000 representing 260 tons, according to Informador.com.mx.  This represents a 724% increase.

The Netherlands also experienced a significant increase with $647,000, which was almost three times more than last year for the same period.

SAGARPA reports that the top importers of Mexican avocados are the United States, Canada, Costa Rica and El Salvador in that order.  The US imported avocados worth $651,328,000 in sales representing a 31% increase over last year.

SIAP, the Mexican Food and Fisheries Information Service, reports that Mexico produces approximately 1,467,000 tons of avocados per year in 27 states.

The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, IICA, believes that Mexico may become a major player in world agriculture.  Victor Villalobos, the Director General of IICA, tells informador.com.mx that Mexico is very strong in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables like avocado, mango, tomatoes and more as well as being a leading producer of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries.

He adds that Mexico should focus on more open policy and campaigns to position its products in the world to fully maximize on this agricultural boom.

With this in mind, I will definitely be keeping my eye on the Mexican agricultural markets.