Avocado Workers Return to Fields as US Export Ban Lifts, but Fear Lingers

Just a day after US authorities lifted a security alert that had halted avocado exports from Michoacán, picker Francisco Isidro was back in the trees. Climbing a 20-foot avocado tree in Santa Ana Zirosto, he filled a box destined for the US market within minutes. “Thank God … and now we’re getting paid!” he said, after several days without work.

The alert, which lasted eight days, had prompted producers to shut down operations across the state, leaving some 200,000 workers in limbo. With the restrictions fully lifted and more than 1,500 Mexican troops deployed to the region, orchards are running again, packing plants are at full capacity, and US Department of Agriculture inspectors have resumed certifying fruit for export.

Michoacán is Mexico’s top avocado-producing state and a stronghold for four cartels that the Trump administration has designated as terrorist organizations. While workers are relieved to have their daily wages back, many in the industry are not convinced the calm will last.

“We’ll be safe for a while, we’ll see what happens next,” said Valentín Rodríguez, a longtime avocado businessman. He noted that the industry is at the mercy of US decisions, whether over security or plant health. In 1914, a worm found in an avocado pit led to an eight-decade ban on Mexican avocado exports to the US, lifted only in 1997.

Extortion remains a constant burden. One producer said he pays about 1 peso per kilo exported, amounting to more than $5,000 daily on his 90-ton shipments. Trucks are also robbed on roads, and some farmworkers have been beaten by armed men near the Jalisco border. US inspectors have previously been assaulted, leading to similar suspensions.

Grower Luis Manuel Soto, 36, said he was pulled from his vehicle in 2024 and threatened with death unless he paid extortion and withdrew a complaint. Threats resumed last July, including a funeral cross and a message saying he had days left. He now avoids his orchards and spends time seeking protection from prosecutors.

Despite the military presence, some residents are uneasy. “It gives us some peace, but it also scares us a little because it could lead to confrontations,” said supervisor Jesús Méndez. For now, the avocado trucks are rolling again, but the underlying dangers remain.