“First, it was truly a bi-national event that featured Avocados from Peru in a breakfast to honor U.S. service members,” he said. “On a deeper level, we are a non-profit organization that represents Peruvian avocados and operates under a federal marketing order, and that showcases the bi-national partnership between Peru and the United States.”
The other memorable takeaway for Equihua was the intimacy of this year’s event.
“The USS New York is an amphibious attack ship and is smaller than in previous years when the breakfast was held aboard an aircraft carrier,” he said. “Thus, it had a more intimate feel, and we had a chance to have some real conversations with the officers and the servicemembers alike. They were all so appreciative of the delicious and healthy breakfast we prepared. In fact, we had a hard time keeping up with the demand for the avocado smoothies!”
The Fleet Week event follows a successful official launch of AFP’s 2025 U.S. season at the Guac Off Challenge at Sea World San Diego and precedes the brand’s traditional annual avocado donations to multiple food banks across the U.S. – furthering its mission to support hunger relief efforts with nutrition and expand access to fresh, heart-healthy foods.
Equihua said Peru is expected to export more than 200 million pounds during the AFP 2025 season, which runs from May through September.
Top photo: Captain Justin T. Issler, commanding officer of the USS New York, AFP President and CEO Xavier Equihua and Lieutenant Commander Blake Pauly, operations officer of the USS New York.
