The decision to stop inspections occurred after two United States Department of Agriculture employees were “recently attacked and detained while carrying out their work in the state of Michoacán inspecting avocados,” U.S. Fruits and vegetables from other Mexican states are also not affected by the suspension, Salazar said. While the United States has not provided many details about the nature of the incident, Michoacán Gov. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Tuesday that his government was working with the Americans to resume inspections. In 2023, the United States imported a record 2.78 billion pounds of fresh avocados with 89% of the volume coming from Mexico.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 19, 2024 18:10 UTC