Last week, the USA suspended imports of avocados from Mexico “until further notice” because a US plant safety inspector received a threat, perhaps as part of the ongoing drug cartel turf wars in Michoacán. So where is Michoacán?
Michoacán is a beautiful state on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. With mountains to the east and Pacific shore to the west, the state’s diversity is conducive to framing of vegetables and fruit year around.
Mexico supplies 45 per cent of the international avocado market. Nearly 57 countries produce avocadoes, the major being Dominican Republic, Peru, Colombia, and Indonesia in that order. Fuerte, Hass, Bacon, Reed, Criollor, and Zutano are the major cultivars produced in Mexico.
Avocado capital of the world
No wonder, Michoacán produces more avocados than any other state in Mexico, which is the world’s largest supplier of avocados. The city of Uruapan which is known as the avocado capital of the world, is located in Michoacán, the only place where avocados bloom 365 days of the year.
The fleshy fruit has been such a fixed part of Mexican culture and cuisine and this is proven by the fact that more than 10,000 year-old avocado remnants have been discovered at archaeological sites in the country!
Ancient residents of Mexico including the Aztecs and other native indigenous groups thought that the shape of a fruit contributed to its properties. Therefore, eating avocado promoted strength and virility. The fruit is known for its reputation as an aphrodisiac, as well as its propensity for aiding childbirth and reducing inflammation and indigestion. The avocado also probably held cultural meaning for the Maya, who believed in the rebirth of their ancestors as trees and therefore surrounded their houses with fruit trees, including avocados.
Year-round produce
It is difficult to grow avocado trees as it requires very hard to meet climate conditions. Thankfully, Michoacán meets all of those conditions – rich volcanic soil, natural irrigation, and a unique topography. Together, this natural biodiversity of Michoacán creates year-round work for avocado farmers who harvest perennially blossoming avocados.
The avocado orchards in Michoacán lie in the heart of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, amid more than 100 volcanoes. The ash from these volcanoes supplies the soil with precious nutrients, to create a fertile landscape in which avocado trees thrive.
Michoacán receives a adequate rainfall needed to sustain the avocado trees all the year-round. In Michoacán, the most number of avocado orchards are located in Uruapan. Uruapan receives around 64 inches of precipitation annually. This rainfall is enough to feed rivers and lakes that allow natural irrigation of avocado orchards. Nearly, 61% of avocado orchards in Michoacán rely on rainfall as the primary source of irrigation, and an additional 36% of orchards utilise drip irrigation.
In addition to rainfall, the lush forests that surround the orchards as well as the thick avocado leaves create enough shade to prevent evaporation and help retain moisture. This forest cover also helps prevent soil erosion.
The climate and mountainous topography enable avocado trees to be grown at different elevations. This allow for four overlapping bloom seasons in the state: Loca (from June through September), Aventajada (from August through October), Normal (from September through February), and Marzena (from March through June).
Michoacán’s mountainous terrain gives avocado producers the ability to run 42,000 orchards at varying elevations ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 feet within different microclimates. Depending on the elevation’s specific climate, the fruit can survive on the tree for up to six months after reaching maturity, so there is plenty of time for harvesting. This means that the fruit grows perennially in multiple temperatures throughout the year, thus ensuring a steady supply for exports.
