U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, announced that Mexican authorities are developing a security plan to restart avocado and mango exports, which had been suspended for a week.

Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla and U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar formalized an agreement to resume avocado and mango exports to the United States after a one-week suspension.

The U.S. government unilaterally decided to suspend the certification of these agricultural products, citing safety concerns for their employees. This decision followed the temporary detention of two U.S. inspectors during a roadblock by community members in Paracho on the night of Friday, June 14.

After a series of negotiations involving federal and state authorities, the governor and the ambassador announced the agreement on Monday, June 24. The agreement includes a security model for U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors, environmental certification for avocado cultivation, and labor protection for workers in these areas.

What is the strategy for the resumption of avocado exports to the U.S.?

Governor Ramírez Bedolla emphasized that his government’s commitment to these three aspects will be ongoing, in coordination with the Association of Producers and Export Packers of Avocado of Mexico, headquartered in Uruapan.

Ambassador Salazar expressed deep concern over the incident, stating, “The aggression that occurred on Friday night worried us greatly. As ambassador, my primary responsibility is to ensure the protection of our employees.” He mentioned that the Mexican government’s plan, “working closely with us, is to ensure that each of our employees has that security, so they can perform their duties as they have for many years.” The ambassador also highlighted two additional security measures: maintaining efficient communication between the U.S. and Mexican federal governments to address potential risks before they necessitate another pause in avocado certification, and having emergency plans in place.

Following the announcement of the export resumption, Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Víctor Villalobos, proposed gradually replacing U.S. inspectors with Mexican personnel, who possess the scientific and technical knowledge to perform this function. The ministry stated that the National Service of Health, Safety and Agro-Food Quality (Senasica) is well-prepared for this progressive transition, in cooperation with directly involved partners.

Villalobos noted that over the past decade, Mexico has exported approximately eleven million tons of avocados and four million tons of mangoes to the United States without any sanitary issues. Additionally, he pointed out that Mexican inspectors have supervised the export of stone fruits from the U.S. to Mexico on-site, recognizing the competence and professionalism of U.S. APHIS inspectors. He suggested that national inspectors could soon assume this role for avocado exports, with the certainty and responsibility recognized worldwide by Senasica.

Governor Ramírez Bedolla added that the meeting also addressed the environmental certification of Michoacán avocados through the Forest Guardian program, active since January this year. Ambassador Salazar concluded by stating that they will continue to review these points and expressed confidence in their success, emphasizing the commitment to work hand-in-hand.