Demand for avocados is seeing significant growth in the United States and in the global market as well. That increased demand has enabled McDaniel Fruit Co. in Fallbrook, CA, to experience business growth for its California fruit as well as for its import programs.

“Of course, we are a U.S.-based company out of California, and our California program has continued to enjoy, just like the rest of the avocado industry, great growth in demand” from existing and new customers, said company President Rankin McDaniel Sr.

In addition to increased business “from our existing customer base and sales networking,” McDaniel Fruit is also seeing “increasing interest from new companies that are inquiring into wanting to secure a supply line of avocados through the McDaniel sales network,” he said. “We are just very, very happy with the growth” of the demand for California avocados in the United States.

But that growth in demand has not been limited to California fruit.

McDaniel Fruit’s Mexican program “continues to see increased growth,” McDaniel said. “The production areas in Mexico have continued to increase as more acreage is certified as USDA qualified to come to the U.S.” Additionally, “there are some new areas in Mexico that are being developed now, primarily the Jalisco area and a few other states of Mexico, which will bring increased production eventually to the United States to help meet the demand that we at McDaniel feel will continue to develop here in the U.S.”

In Chile, also, the McDaniel Fruit operations “will continue to grow,” he said. But that growth will be limited by competing increased demand both from Chile’s own domestic market and from Chile’s other export markets. Even so, “the demand is still there” for Chilean avocados in the United States, “and the supply for the U.S. is growing. It will be bigger this year than it was last year.”

McDaniel Fruit’s operations in Peru are just in their third year, McDaniel said. Peru is “a relatively new country” as a source of avocados for other U.S. markets, and “there were some growing pains the first couple of years. But we are seeing a great acceptance” of Peruvian avocados in the United States this year. “The quality has been excellent coming out of Peru, and the size difference between what Peru produces this time of the year vs. what is traditionally available in the marketplace this time of year” has made the Peruvian product complimentary to other fruit in the market.

“So we see very good synergies between all four of the main countries” supplying avocados to the U.S. market, McDaniel said. “This is providing us with the ability to meet demand continually on a year-round basis.”