Mission Produce and Westfalia Fruit declare force majeure in face of Mexican avocado shortage

This is a developing story. LAST UPDATE: May 28th, 4:32 PM EST | Lee esta noticia en español

As the Mexican avocado season comes to a close, supply of the fruit into the United States has been heavily impacted and continues to tighten. The situation has escalated dramatically, forcing industry giant Westfalia Fruit to declare force majeure as shipments continue to dwindle. 

In a letter penned by Raina Nelson, President of Westfalia Fruit North America, the executive explained that Mexican fruit supply is currently subject to severe restrictions outside the company's control, "materially affecting the volume available." Current market conditions could not have been "foreseen or avoided through commercially reasonable means," wrote the executive.

Fresh produce distribution platform The Produce Alliance said the situation has worsened with each passing day. 

"Supply remains extremely limited, and costs continue to increase, with market prices at the border rising hourly," read an email sent on May 28th to subscribers. "Continued market volatility should be expected throughout June as supply tightens further and competition for available fruit intensifies."

The platform warned about the situation on May 20. In that update, the service said that “many growers are strategically slowing harvest activity in anticipation of stronger late-season pricing, which has caused field prices to escalate rapidly over the past two weeks as packers compete for tighter supplies.”

Since January, Mexican avocado exports to the US have risen 37 percent year-on-year, pushing weekly volumes into the 65 million to 70 million-pound range in January and March.

Retail demand also strengthened during the latest four-week period ending on April 19, according to the Hass Avocado Board (HAB)’s latest category data update. National unit sales increased 20 percent, adding 47 million units. 

Mission Produce will complement avocado supply 

In a missive shared by The Produce Alliance in their May 28th market update and, according to Mission Produce, exclusively regarding the service's program, the firm explained that conditions have quickly deteriorated over the past two weeks. 

"Field prices are surging at an extremely fast pace as packers compete for the limited supply of remaining fruit," wrote Galen Johnson, Mission Produce's Senior Director of Sales. "Despite our efforts to mitigate the impact of these market conditions, available supply is no longer sufficient to meet US demand."

Given the current context, the company stated in the document that pricing for The Produce Alliance's program will be market-based for orders shipping Tuesday, May 26th onward; all orders will be subject to availability based on current inventory, and alternative supply from California, Peru, and Colombia may be used to fulfill orders as inventory allows. 

"We anticipate this supply shortage to remain in place for the next two months given the current crop outlook," Jones continued.  

In a market update sent on the afternoon of May 28th, The Produce Alliance reported that Colombia supply is trickling in slowly into the US, and Flor Loca, Mexico's next avocado crop, has been authorized to start earlier than its usual July window.

"These adjustments will provide some relief over the next several weeks," they wrote. 

Westfalia also takes action in the midst of the avocado shortage

Leading avocado producer and distributor Westfalia announced similar actions to those of Mission Produce. 

In the notice sent to retailers in the US, Nelson explained that the company anticipates delays and reduced fulfillment for Mexican-sourced orders, offering fruit sourced elsewhere to meet demand while availability lasts.

"Our global sourcing teams are actively redirecting volume from Peru, Colombia, and California to maintain continuity wherever possible, and we are engaging spot markets to supplement," she stated. 

The Produce Alliance vouched for both companies, saying "they are doing everything possible to manage the situation as effectively as they can." 

The service concluded its notice lamenting the situation and referencing the staggering 25.3 percent price drop for the fruit reported recently by the HAB: "This is an unfortunate market environment, especially with the continued cost pressure from growers in Mexico."

*All images are referential. 

The second edition of the Global Avocado Summit will be held on November 11, 2026, at the Monticello Casino Events Center in Santiago, Chile. Organized by the Chilean Avocado Committee and Yentzen Group, the meeting seeks to bring together the main players in a growing industry.

The event has established itself as a key space for addressing commercial and sustainability issues in the industry, bringing together producers, exporters, buyers, certifiers, and innovators to analyze the sector’s challenges and opportunities.

For more info, contact 

events@yentzengroup.com

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