U.S./Mexico Avocado Program in Michoacan

Under a cooperative service agreement signed by the United States Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Avocado Export Program Association, a series of requirements were agreed upon for Mexican avocado producers to export their products to the United States.  As part of this agreement, APHIS International Services has been working side-by-side with avocado producers in Mexico to ensure the requirements of the agreement are met, thus allowing products to reach their final destination as quickly as possible.

APEAM, a Mexican association of avocado producers, packers, and exporters, was created as a trust fund to manage the program.  APEAM represents the association of avocado producers and provides funding for the program.  

Lizandro Gonzalez is the Area Director of the APHIS Office in Guadalajara.  He is the liaison between APHIS and APEAM; he also manages various components of the Avocado Export Program. The Avocado Export Program Association is headquartered in Uruapan, Michoacán and is staffed by a program coordinator, three administrative assistants, two field supervisors, and a fluctuating field force of approximately thirty five agriculture professionals assigned to supervise activities in packinghouses and certify orchards.  

Over the past several years, APHIS and APEAM have developed an excellent working relationship.  The cooperation between both organizations has allowed APEAM to develop as a formidable export program nearing five hundred million dollars a year.  For its part, APHIS has benefited from the agreement by ensuring that Mexican avocados entering the United States meet health and safety requirements.