Why is avocado banned in America?

The import shutdown was triggered by a threat made to a United States food inspector. The U.S lifted a ban on imports of Mexican avocados, ending a week-long suspension triggered by a threat against a food inspector that halted America’s primary supply of the produce.

Simultaneously, Why is there a Mexican avocado ban? The U.S. Department of Agriculture banned imports of the fleshy fruit from Mexico on Feb. 11, 2022, after an employee of its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, who was working in Mexico, received threats after refusing to certify a mislabeled shipment of avocados.

Briefly, Is there an avocado shortage 2022? Those avocados you planned on buying to make fresh guacamole could be the next great shortage of 2022. Avocado imports from Mexico to the U.S. were suspended indefinitely Feb. 12, after a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico received a threat.

Do cartels own avocado?

Avocados are wildly important in the U.S., and most are imported from Mexico. This week, the U.S. briefly banned Mexican avocados after a U.S. inspector in the state of Michoacan reported receiving threats. But avocados and limes have long been used by drug cartels to help finance their violent business plans.

in fact, Did the US ban Mexican avocados?

The U.S. has lifted its ban on avocados imported from Mexico, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced Friday. The decision comes after the USDA said one of its employees was threatened last week, prompting a halt in imports of the fruit.

Do cartels control avocados?

Avocados are wildly important in the U.S., and most are imported from Mexico. This week, the U.S. briefly banned Mexican avocados after a U.S. inspector in the state of Michoacan reported receiving threats. But avocados and limes have long been used by drug cartels to help finance their violent business plans.

What percentage of avocados come from cartels?

The popularity of “green gold”—as the fruit is sometimes called in Latin America—has skyrocketed in the U.S. and 80 percent of avocados are imported from Mexico, where they are grown year-round as opposed to areas in the U.S. where they are seasonal.

Why do drug cartels want avocados?

“Cartels in Mexico have expanded into other industries and products—hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs as they are able to clean all the money that is coming in,” Elizondo pointed out. “The cartels are certainly interested in avocados because of the revenues they produce.”

What is the avocado war?

Cartels have long preyed upon farmers, but by 2013 the violence had escalated to extremes. The Knights Templar is reported to have charged a fee for every box of avocados gathered from local farms, taken cuts from fertilizer and pesticide sales, and forced farmers to turn over the titles to their land.

Where does America import avocados from?

5 Over 98 percent of U.S. avocado imports are sourced from just three countries: Mexico, Chile, and the Peru (see Table 1 on page 3). Avocados are produced in the U.S. year-round, but the peak growing season is from April to September. Imports in these months are correspondingly low.

Can you freeze avocados?

Can You Freeze Whole Avocados? If you don’t fancy pre-mashing avocados and mixing them with lime juice, you can freeze whole avocados. Bear in mind that the flavor, texture and color of the avocado will change in the freezer. The avocado will turn slightly grey-brown and become mushier.

Has the avocado ban been lifted?

United States lifts Mexican avocado ban — averting what could have been a costly crisis. For foodies, workers, restaurant owners and investors on both sides of the Rio Grande border, Friday brought a sigh of relief after the United States lifted its temporary ban on imports of Mexican avocados.

Has the avocado ban been lifted?

The U.S. has lifted its ban on avocados imported from Mexico, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced Friday. The decision comes after the USDA said one of its employees was threatened last week, prompting a halt in imports of the fruit.

What are the avocado wars?

The Mexican avocado fields are in the middle of a turf war between drug cartels. Avocado growers in the area say the cartels threaten them with death or kidnapping unless they pay for protection. USC professor of pharmaceutical sciences Roger Clemens explains how the drug cartel impacts inspectors.

Should I buy avocados from Mexico?

That doesn’t mean you should stop buying avocados altogether, experts say. Avocado farming in Mexico is a lifeline for a low-income part of the country, and simply boycotting the produce would likely do more harm than good. There are ways to limit your impact on ecosystems when shopping for these fruits.

Did the US ban avocados from Mexico?

The United States lifted a temporary ban on avocados from Mexico on Friday, allowing exports of the fruit to resume, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The ban had been issued on Feb. 11 after a verbal threat was made to a U.S. inspector working in the country.

Why are avocados from Mexico so expensive?

Avocado prices from the Mexican state of Michoacán have jumped 81% this year to $38 for a 20-pound box. The US banned the import of Mexican avocados for a week in February after a USDA inspector was threatened. The rise in avocado prices stands to make guacamole more expensive amid concerns of food inflation.

Did U.S. ban avocados from Mexico?

The United States lifted a temporary ban on avocados from Mexico on Friday, allowing exports of the fruit to resume, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The ban had been issued on Feb. 11 after a verbal threat was made to a U.S. inspector working in the country.

Where do most of the avocados come from?

Avocado trees were first planted in Florida in 1833 and then in California in 1856. According to NASS, California now accounts for the majority of U.S. avocado production, followed by Florida and Hawaii.

What is the problem with avocados in Mexico?

Many avocado growers in Michoacan say drug gangs threaten them or their family members with kidnapping or death unless they pay protection money, sometimes amounting to thousands of dollars per acre. On Sept. 30, 2020, a Mexican employee of APHIS was killed near the northern border city of Tijuana.

Is avocado a fruit?

Avocados are one of the few fruits (yes, technically they’re a fruit, not a veggie) that contain healthy unsaturated fats. These fats help lower undesirable LDL cholesterol when eaten in place of saturated fat.

Do avocados use a lot of water?

The Right to Water. Avocado production is highly water-intensive, roughly 70 liters per fruit, more than 12 times as much as it takes to grow a tomato. (Avocados, like tomatoes, are a fruit, not a vegetable.)

Do avocados grow in Mexico?

The main avocado growing states in Mexico are Michoacán and the State of Mexico, often referred to as the ‘Avocado Belt of the Mexican Republic’. Michoacán accounts for over 92% of Mexico’s avocado production and has over 30,000 groves of Hass avocados.

Which country has the best avocado?

Historically, the avocado plant (Persea americana) came from Central America, namely Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela .

Table Ranking of the World’s Biggest Avocado Producing Countries.

Rank	Countries	Total Production in 2019
		(Tons)
1	Mexico	2,300,889
2	Dominican Republic	661,626
3	Peru	535,911

What country consumes the most avocados?

Mexico, the U.S. and the Dominican Republic were the major avocado consuming countries. The countries with the highest consumption were Mexico (17%), the U.S. (16%), the Dominican Republic (10%), Indonesia (5%), Colombia (5%), Peru (4%), Brazil (3%), China (3%), Kenya (3%) and Rwanda (3%).

Who is the largest avocado producer in the world?

Mexico harvested about 2.4 million tons of avocados in 2020, making that country the top producer of avocados worldwide.