● Live · Jun 04, 2026
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Avocado growers are deliberately holding back fruit — and it's driving prices even higher

Avocado prices are surging as growers are reportedly holding back harvests, tightening an already constrained supply picture in the U.S. market. This behavior, where growers time their picks to capture better pricing, can amplify price volatility in a category already under significant pressure from reduced Mexican supply.

The avocado category has been one of the most volatile in produce this spring, with Mexican volume running well below forecast and a force majeure declaration already issued earlier in the season. Grower harvest-timing decisions layered on top of structural supply shortfalls create compounding unpredictability for buyers trying to plan summer programs.

The article also notes that fewer tropical storms this season could mean fewer supply disruptions along Gulf and Atlantic coasts — a potential positive signal for late-summer supply chains worth monitoring as the Atlantic storm season develops.

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