Production: The United States is the second largest producer of avocados after Mexico. About 90% of avocado production in the United States takes place in California by more than 5,000 growers. The average grove size in California is about 13 acres. One avocado tree can produce from 200 to 500 avocados per year. About 400 million pounds of avocados are harvested each year in California alone. Florida and Hawaii produce most of the remaining 10% of avocados produced in the United States.
Consumption: Avocado consumption in the United States has doubled over the past 10 years and is now about four times higher than consumption in the mid-1990s. Avocados have become more abundant in the U.S. due to a large increase in avocado imports. From 2012-2015, U.S. net production accounted for about 20% of U.S. consumption, compared to about 80% of U.S. consumption in the 1990s.
Prices: Avocado prices have rocketed in recent years by up to 129%, with the average national price of a single Hass avocado reaching $2.10 in 2019, almost doubling in just one year. The resources needed to produce almost 200 million pounds of avocados is the reason for avocados' elevated prices. According to experts, it takes roughly 270 liters of water to grow a pound of avocados. So 200 million pounds could require as much as 54 billion liters of water, which means droughts or heat waves can have devastating consequences on the avocado industry.
