GLC Cerritos begins new-crop Jalisco avocado season

GLC Cerritos, an importer-distributor of avocados, is now shipping from Jalisco. This marks the earliest harvest date for fruit from that Mexican state.

Accounting for more than 25 percent of global production, Mexico is not only the largest avocado origin in the world, but also the one with the greatest ability to provide high-quality fruit year-round.

Lower-altitude Mendez orchards in Jalisco help Mexico’s year-round availability by supplying early fruit during the traditional old-crop/flor locatransition, according to the company. During the 2024-25 season, Jalisco avocados accounted for about 15 percent of Mexico’s exports.

“All of our orchards are Rainforest Alliance and Global GAP certified,” said Saul Medina Tejeda, executive director at GLC Cerritos.

Jalisco has about 95,000 acres of Hass and Mendez avocados, of which about 60 percent are certified for the U.S. market. This leaves about 30,000 acres of fruit that must go to other destinations such as Asia, Canada, Europe and the Mexican domestic market.  

GLC Cerritos said that weekly new-crop shipments will increase through June and July for Canada and Asia. Harvesting for the U.S. market requires that dry-matter field tests reach 24 percent or greater, which can delay entry to the United States by a few weeks vs. other destinations.

“We believe that shipments for the states could begin in early-to-mid June, depending on when the rainy season begins,” added Medina. “Over the course of the summer, Mexico’s share of the U.S. market should increase from today’s 60 percent to over 85 percent in September.”