Candelaria Avocado Farmers Struggle to Sell Crop

José María Morelos — Although the agricultural community of Candelaria cultivates approximately 50 hectares of avocado, producers are facing serious difficulties in commercializing their crop due to a lack of market access and a collapse in prices during the high season. This was reported by Esteban Serralta Uxul, the former delegate of the locality.

He explained that the avocado harvest is currently at peak production, which causes a saturation of supply and, consequently, very low prices.

“During this season, a box sells for 30 or 40 pesos, while in the off-season it can be worth up to 500 or 600 pesos,” he stated.

Serralta detailed that the "double harvest" variety is the one that predominates in the community, which produces twice a year, though with notable differences: in the first season the volume is lower, but it sells for a better price, while in the second the opposite occurs, with high production but plummeting prices.

In Candelaria, most families have plots of one or two hectares of avocado, which together amounts to a considerable area dedicated to this crop. However, the absence of a solid commercialization channel limits their benefits.

“The problem is that this avocado is not the type consumed in supermarkets, where they prefer the Hass variety. We lack a market; we need areas like the Riviera Maya to consume more of this product,” he explained.

The former delegate considered it necessary to promote commercialization strategies that would allow the region's avocado to be placed in tourist markets or distribution chains that value local production.

“There is plenty of avocado in Candelaria, but if a market is not opened, it will continue to not be a profitable business for the producers,” he concluded.