Eco Farms Avocados Inc. in Escondido, CA, which grows, packs and ships California avocados and also handles imported avocados from various sources, has opened a branch office in McAllen, TX, according to Steve Taft, president.

“It has been six months or so since we opened it, with the prospects of that area becoming a bigger and bigger dynamic area” in the avocado trade, “which is clearly true. It has become quite a force,” he said.

Agricom International LLC in Escondido, CA, has just opened its second California avocado packinghouse, according to General Manager Bruce Dowhan. The new facility is in Ventura, CA, and is designed to serve growers in California’s northern producing areas in the vicinity of Ventura and Santa Barbara, CA.

Having a packing facility in the northern growing area enables Giumarra Agricom to “have a staff there to work directly with those growers,” Mr. Dowhan said.

“You cannot deny the fact that demand” for avocados in the United States “continues to grow at about 15 percent a year,” said Rob Wedin, vice president of fresh sales for Calavo Growers Inc. in Santa Paula, CA.

The demand is year-round, and it has required an increased aggregate volume of fruit in the marketplace every year from California and other sources, mainly Mexico and Chile, to keep pace with the demand.

The 2011 California avocado season was about two-thirds complete and moving rapidly to a conclusion when The Produce News talked to Ross Wileman, vice president of sales and marketing at Mission Produce Inc. in Oxnard, CA, July 21.

“We are probably 65 percent through the season, picking at a very brisk pace,” he said. “We are probably going to go, in any kind of measurable volume, through about the middle of August, and then it will really taper off.”

Fresh Inc. in Bloomington, CA, handles domestic avocados from California and imported avocados from Chile, Mexico and Peru. Over the next year, in the United States, “we are looking at adding about 20 to 25 percent more volume” than during the 2010-11 season, said Giovanni Cavaletto, vice president of operations. That increase “is going to come from all four countries. California is going to have a bigger crop. Mexico is forecasting a larger crop.” Chile will have a larger crop and may send a larger share of it to the United States. Peru will be new to the U.S.

M&M Farm Inc. in Miami, which markets some 40 different tropical fruits and vegetables under the “M&M Tropicals” brand, is probably the second largest grower of Florida green skin avocados, according to Mark Vertrees, marketing director.

Many of the products, including avocados, are grown by M&M in Florida. Other items are imported, mainly from Central America and South America.