Newsletter Archives - Index Fresh

The Insider | Spring 2025

Posted on April 10, 2025June 20, 2025 by Index Fresh

Dear Growers,

The 2025 California avocado season began with great momentum in mid-January, marking an earlier start than usual. Thanks to a short supply of 48s from Mexico during January, we were able to work together to bring California fruit to market just in time to meet the heightened demand during the Super Bowl period.

Early harvesting primarily consisted of size picks, but the favorable market conditions also allowed growers the opportunity to conduct maintenance and anti-theft picks at competitive price levels.

Looking ahead, California is poised for a strong crop this year, with volumes expected to be similar to the 2024 season. Last year’s final numbers reached 386 MM pounds across all varieties. For 2025, initial estimates project 355 MM pounds of Hass avocados, 11 MM pounds of Lamb Hass, 8 MM pounds of GEM, and 1 million pounds of other varieties such as Reeds and green skins.

The U.S. avocado market is currently facing notable challenges. Mexican supply has fallen short of meeting regular weekly demand, and recent tariff uncertainties have further tightened availability. These factors have created robust demand for California fruit at premium prices over the past several weeks.

With ongoing uncertainty surrounding Mexican supply, retail buyers are increasingly turning to alternative sources to meet their needs. California avocados stand out for their quality, consistency, and reliability—making them a top choice for buyers nationwide.

GEM avocados are also generating excitement among retailers. Our newly launched California Crema GEM campaign has already sparked enthusiasm from both new buyers and long-standing GEM customers eager to expand their programs. Please coordinate closely with your field representative to ensure a smooth harvest process.

We’re excited to welcome Agronomist Gerardo Aldunate to Index Fresh full-time this April! With extensive expertise in avocado cultivation, Gerardo will be a valuable resource for our growers and team. Contact Gerardo at galdunate@indexfresh.com to schedule an in-field consultation.

The Fresh Facts mobile app has been revamped with a sleek design and enhanced features. Growers can now access two years of historical price trends alongside the latest price quote and market insights. We’re committed to delivering cutting-edge tools— reach out with suggestions for future updates.

Finally, I’d like to personally invite all growers and members of the avocado community to join us at our Grower Appreciation Lunches this May. These casual gatherings are a wonderful opportunity to connect, enjoy great food, and discuss the upcoming season. The lunches will be held on:

May 6th in San Luis Obispo, Wayfarer Hotel
May 7th in Ventura, Brokaw Nursery Long Canyon Ranch
May 9th in Temecula, Temecula Creek Inn

With appreciation,
Keith Blanchard

The Insider | Winter 2024

Posted on December 17, 2024June 20, 2025 by Index Fresh

Dear Growers,

As we approach the end of 2024, I hope this newsletter finds you well. The California avocado season has been one for the books, with an impressive increase in volume year-over-year and more fruit than initially anticipated. Our crop estimates fell short of the actual yield, particularly in Ventura County, where we saw exceptionally high yields per acre. We were pleased to continue our leadership position with GEMs and expanded our distribution in 2024. Across all regions Index was successful in delivering above market returns to our growers.

Before we look ahead, I must address the recent mountain fire that devastated parts of Ventura County this November. As the season’s first wind event resulted in a fire, it left a trail of destruction, with over 150 homes lost and substantial avocado acreage damage in Ventura County. While the preparedness of having firebreaks helped, the wind-driven nature of the fire led to its rapid spread. We are still assessing the impact and exploring ways Index Fresh can support our community as they rebuild. Our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragedy.

Looking ahead to the 2025 California avocado season, we remain optimistic about fruit quality. Early indications suggest the crop size will be similar to last year. We’re pleased to see higher projected yields in the South, a positive change from 2024. Ventura County is expected to maintain a similar crop volume, and we anticipate improved yields in the Far North. These factors combined lead us to project a crop volume comparable to the 2023-2024 season, which closed at an impressive 347 million pounds.

We are thrilled to announce that as part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing our grower services, Gerardo Aldunate will be joining Index Fresh full-time next spring. With his extensive agronomy expertise, proven track record in improving yields, and ability to provide tailored solutions, Gerardo will be a valuable asset to our growing community.

In this edition of The Insider, you’ll find valuable insights from our contributors, including an agronomy update, an irrigation automation summary from our recent Seminar Series, and highlights on Index Fresh’s new scholarship programs. We hope you find these articles informative and useful for your operations. As always, we at Index Fresh are committed to supporting our grower community through every season, challenge, and triumph. Thank you for your continued partnership and resilience.

With appreciation,
Keith Blanchard

The Insider | Summer 2024

Posted on August 6, 2024June 20, 2025 by Index Fresh

Dear Growers,

Since we gathered at this spring’s Appreciation BBQs, we have been on quite a ride, reminding us of the dynamic nature of our work and the globality of our business. Overall, California growers have experienced a good season, with price and volume performing better than expected despite unexpected swings and uncontrollable weather conditions.

We kicked off June with an industry demand reaching 53M lbs./week at a competitive $1.62/lbs. for 48s. By the end of the second week, we saw the price strengthen +$0.12/ lbs. This upward trend was met with an abrupt shutdown of Michoacán’s supply that sent prices skyrocketing as the market scooped up any available inventory to fill in the gaps. As retailers prepared for their prebooked July 4th ads, prices continued to rise, even reaching $2.10/lbs. for a couple of days. Over the 10-day Michoacán closure, California, Peru, and Colombia all saw significant increases and worked to pull ahead and meet the demand. Retailers raised July 4th promo prices significantly and the slow Mexico restart created concern amongst buyers about quality, leading many to hold off imports even after the market had reopened. The high prices softened demand to 47 – 48M lbs./week (roughly 6M less than we saw in early June).

Mexico’s new season started slowly with the “Loca” crop at approximately 8.5M lbs./avg. week due to low dry matter. This crop was balanced by volume from the “Negra” crop at approx. 18.3M lbs./avg. week. The Mexico volume was coupled with California supplying 18 – 20M lbs./week and Peru entering with 10M lbs./week. With over 60M lbs./week in the market we’ve seen prices drop. Despite that, prices are still quite solid when compared to 2023’s $1.30/lbs. for 48s at this same time.

California fruit is now estimated to exceed 300M lbs. this season, a much higher volume than the preseason estimate. Looking ahead we see imported fruit from Mexico skewing smaller, as harvests from the old crop come to an end. Volumes from California and Peru are decreasing, indicating that price stability is anticipated as we approach the end of the California season, which is expected to conclude sometime in September.

A special thanks to the contributors of this edition of The Insider: Gerardo Aldunate for his agronomy update and advisor Dr. Ben Faber for his recommendations on protecting our crops against extreme heat.

With appreciation,
Keith Blanchard