It was a decade ago that the Texas International Produce Association launched the Viva Fresh Expo as a regional produce show dedicated to celebrating the vital role of the Tex-Mex corridor as a key trade route and production hub for fresh produce.

“It was a game changer for the association and the industry,” said TIPA President and CEO Dante Galeazzi, who was on the founding committee as an industry member.

The need for increased capacity led McDaniel Fruit Co. to tear out its packing line and put in new, state-of-the-art equipment in breakneck speed between the end of the California season early last fall and the start of this year’s pro

With one of its larger crops in a decade and more avocado acreage being planted every year, California is poised for continued volume in the coming years.

The opening up of a new dam in northern Mexico has led to more irrigated mango orchards in that area, which has helped Nogales, AZ-based Ciruli Bros. extend the season for the yellow mangos it has been marketing for two decades under the Champagne moniker.

There are many factors converging that will clearly impact the marketing of California avocados in 2025, with most of them appearing to be on the positive side of the ledger.