In the western Mexican state of Michoacán, where organized crime is active in agriculture, the US Department of Agriculture has suspended inspections of avocados and mangos bound for export to the US. The move came after two inspectors from the US Animal and Plant Health Administration (Aphis) were threatened while inspecting avocados last weekend in the region. According to reports from the US Embassy in Mexico, the inspectors were briefly arrested but released without harm. However, Mexican media suggests that the threat was not specifically targeted at the American inspectors but rather related to a road blockade in a nearby village.
Michoacán is known as the most important avocado-growing region in Mexico, accounting for around half of global avocado production. The USDA has informed the Association of Mexican Avocado Exporters (Apeam) that it will suspend processing exports from Michoacán for the US market until safety guarantees are put in place for inspectors to resume their work on-site. Transports already en route to the US are not affected by the export ban. The inspections have been suspended until safety measures are taken to ensure that inspectors can work safely on-site.
The halt in American controls on avocado exports from Michoacán has been criticized by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who sees it as an example of unilateral American policy towards Mexico. He aims to convince the US to change its approach and believes that concerns about deforestation and water consumption related to avocado production should be addressed through collaboration between both countries. Avocados are considered “green gold” in Mexico due to their popularity in the American market, where they are used in products like avocado toast and guacamole.
