It was in 1887 that Peter Sambrailo came to California from Croatia to try his luck at mining gold at Angel Camp in “Gold County.” Though that was one of the richest gold mining regions, Sambrailo was not very successful. Instead, he moved to Watsonville, which had a significant Croatian population, and got into the fruit business.

Pharr, TX-based Villita Avocados Inc. was preparing to receive its first load of U.S.-bound avocados from the Mexican state of Jalisco in late June, which will help the longtime company double its volume.

With more than 8,000 acres of avocado production in Peru, Mission Produce Inc. Director of Sourcing, South and Central America Brock Becker said the organization is in prime position to meet the summertime demand.

Calavo Growers Inc. is anticipating excellent supplies of avocados from Peru this summer, peaking in July and August with arrivals lasting well into September. The September arrivals are expected to allow for distribution of Peruvian avocados in the U.S. market into October.

“We have seen some arrivals already,” said Peter Shore, vice president, product management for Calavo Grown Sales, which is based in Santa Paula, CA. “We have programs set up for the season for retail and foodservice customers.”

McDaniel Fruit Co., which is headquartered in the northern end of California’s San Diego County, has a solid 2023 Peru avocado program with equal distribution on both U.S. coasts.

It is no secret that the marketing of avocados in the United States is challenging this year as a very large 2022/23 crop from Mexico has set the stage for abundant supplies and lower FOB prices.

This is good news for consumers, which should see avocado promotions throughout the summer. The situation has also led to both Peru and California grower-shippers shifting their peak shipping periods to later in the year. This is also advantageous for South Florida-based Pacific Produce and its Peruvian owner/supplier Agrokasa.