Written by Bernie Carr
Do you enjoy avocado toast for breakfast? Or guacamole and tortilla chips? Well, you may have to do without them for a while, as avocados will be disappearing from store shelves soon.
What happened?
When 2022 started, we were already having an avocado shortage due to unfavorable weather for growing, supply chain issues and higher costs. Prices skyrocketed.
But this past weekend, the U.S. has suspended avocado imports from Mexico until further notice.
The decision was made after an American inspector, who works for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, received a threat, according to Mexico’s department of agriculture. “US health authorities…made the decision after one of their officials, who was carrying out inspections in Uruapan, Michoacan, received a threatening message on his official cellphone,” the department wrote.
SOURCE: Modern Farmer
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating the threat to their employee and deciding on. potential safety measures to protect workers.
You might say, why not import from somewhere else. Mexico is the largest avocado producer in the worldU.S. inspectors who work in Mexico make sure the avocados don’t carry diseases that could hurt U.S. crops. The avocados are grown in the state of Michoacan, as they have the approvals for fresh Mexican Hass avocados to be sold to the U.S.
Mexico supplies 80% of the avocados sold in the U.S., while California provides around 16% according to Haas Avocado Board.
As of this writing, the President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in a news conference that they were looking into the issue.
And late Monday, US ag officials said the shipments will be suspended “as long as necessary” — raising the specter of a prolonged blockade, price increases and even guacamole shortages.
SOURCE: New York Post
What can you do?
Consider substitutes
I have to admit, finding substitutes for avocado is not easy – I can’t think of anything that is similar. But in terms of its uses, there are a few I’ll be trying out:
- Instead of avocado on toast, I will try hummus instead.
- For dips, instead of guacamole, make a bean dip instead.
- If you like adding avocado to shakes for the smooth texture, use bananas instead. You might also want to try avocado powder.
Stock up
There’s still time to pick up an avocado or two at the store or order them online while they are still available. What we have in the shelves were imported weeks ago, so get your avocados while you can and just wait for them to ripen. California avocados will still be available but the price is likely to go up due to low supply. The shortage is likely to be felt in the coming weeks.
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Bernie Carr is the founder of Apartment Prepper. She has written several books including the best-selling Prepper’s Pocket Guide, Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure, The Penny-Pinching Prepper and How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget. Bernie’s latest e-book, FRUGAL DIY has just been released on Amazon. Her work appears in sites such as the Allstate Blog and Clark.com, as well as print magazines such as Backwoods Survival Guide and Prepper Survival Guide. She has been featured in national publications such as Fox Business and Popular Mechanics. Learn more about Bernie here.
