Crop Reports
Oaxaca & Chiapas Operations Resume
Yesterday, in a blog post, I reported that packhouse operations in Mexico had been forced to shut down after the Mexican Army killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, on February 22nd in Tapalpa, Jalisco. The operation — carried out by Mexican special forces with US intelligence support —…
Continue ReadingA Rainy Peru Update
Our friends at Pachamama Farms report that volumes are dropping week by week as seasonal rains move through the Motupe, Jayanca, and Olmos micro-regions. Most active harvest at this point is concentrated in the late Piura area, with a handful of small growers still working in the Casma region. Organic fruit is extremely limited…
Continue ReadingUSDA Suspends Mexican Packing Operations
Yesterday, February 22, the Mexican Army killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), triggering immediate and widespread violence and civil unrest across multiple Mexican states. In direct response, the U.S. government has suspended all USDA personnel from operating inside the packhouses and in and field work. Currently,…
Continue ReadingDoes the Weather Write the Season?
The Mexican mango season is underway in southern Oaxaca, but it has actually barely gotten started as a whole — Ataulfo and Tommy Atkins are both moving into the market, and depending on how many orchards or where your packhouse might be, exporters are either rolling in mangoes or just getting started. Crespo Organic has…
Continue ReadingTeeter Tottering Onset Pricing
Disclaimer: This crop report, like many I write, is told through the lens of Crespo Organic Mangoes, where I’m intricately and joyously embedded. Tis’ the mango season – though at retail it barely feels like it yet. That’s changing now. Despite some early movement from southern Oaxaca, the organic mango pipeline from packhouse to…
Continue ReadingCrespo Organic Mango Crop Report
Disclaimer: This CROP REPORT is specific to Crespo Organic and is produced as part of my work supporting the Crespo Organic program and educating its customers. CROP REPORT Cliff Notes: Increased Organic Ataulfo volumes are coming soon and Tommy Atkins starting up! The majority of packhouses in the south have still not opened, so the…
Continue ReadingThe Peruvian Underbelly
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about Peru lately, even though I’m not currently involved in selling Peruvian fruit. Beneath those questions pulses a collective urgency to “move on” to Mexico — which is unusual, considering the Mexican season has barely begun. Most Mexican packhouses won’t open for a few more weeks, and once…
Continue Reading2026 Mexican Crop Talk
Timing is becoming clearer, and the general start dates for hot water bath packhouses in Oaxaca have shifted slightly. The majority of packhouses are now slated to open in the last week of January, with a few—typically two that historically start early—opening the week prior. I will offer more detail toward the end of this…
Continue ReadingPeru Briefing
The U.S. market is extremely short right now across both conventional and organic. Brix levels remain well below target, with lack of maturity throughout all producers. There is widespread picking and packing delays. Weather has been unfavorable, with persistent cloud cover, cold fronts, and limited sunshine slowing maturity development. As fruit begins to final reach…
Continue Reading“Thripy” Mexican Mango Update
As we inch closer to the 2026 Mexican mango season, exporters tentatively aiming for a mid-January Ataulfo start, the orchards in Oaxaca and Chiapas have already begun telling their seasonal story. It’s a similar story about climate change and the unpredictability and complexity that comes with the shifting weather patterns . Orchard behavior continues to…
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