La Casa del Aguacate Reveals Investments to Meet Avocado Demand
MEXICO - With avocado demand on the rise as we approach Cinco de Mayo and other summer celebrations, La Casa del Aguacate is ready to help arm its partners with supply to make it through the season.
“Over the past two decades, U.S. demand for avocados has increased significantly,” said Managing Director Arturo Larios. “Just since 2001, per capita consumption has tripled, according to USDA statistics. With this increased consumption comes the need for more sourcing options.”
La Casa del Aguacate’s goal is to meet the increasing needs of the marketplace with flexibility, as explained in a press release. One of the major developments in the avocado market is the increase in demand for bagged avocados, which La Casa del Aguacate is well-positioned to meet thanks to recent innovations, as the company recently invested in six new machines for avocado bags and nets.
“Bags are one of the main products requested for retail sale now. We are the only company with packaging capability in Michoacán and also in Nayarit,” adds Larios. “We can make bags by weight or by number of pieces. We have the capacity to make more than 20 loads per week in these presentations. Additionally, we have four other bagging machines available to handle overflow. We have the capability of producing more than 40 loads per week in our packaging for the U.S. market; that’s a fruit running capacity of approximately 150 tons per day.”
“Our desire is to give customers the whole package: a direct company, without intermediaries, that can deliver to their distribution centers with pre-conditioned and even bagged fruit," continues Larios.
La Casa del Aguacate originated in Michoacán, Mexico, which produces 90 percent of its avocados to be exported to the U.S. In addition to the U.S., the grower exports to Chile, China, Europe, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Latin America, and Canada, to which it exported 380 loads in the last year alone.
“That's a little more than one load a day,” explained Larios. “We occupy third place in exporting avocados from Michoacán to Canada. We created our company to be rooted in the actual avocado production. Then, we opened offices in California to be close to the market so that we can stay on top of market demands and provide greater service to customers.”
La Casa del Aguacate currently uses cold storage warehouses in Los Angeles, California, and Pharr, Texas, and has multiple expansions in the works.
“We intend to have additional warehouses in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Dallas by June,” Larios said. “This type of warehousing allows us to maintain inventory close to market and offer delivery to customers. We will soon offer pre-conditioning as well.”
As the avocado category continues to see growth, what other new strategies will suppliers implement? Keep reading ANUK to find out.
