More important, prices are holding steady and demand is increasing even as the industry faces an array of challenges from higher power prices to exotic pests. Driving the demand in part is the nation's growing Hispanic population, up nearly 60 percent in the last decade, and the popularity of Mexican food, which includes guacamole and fresh avocado as an ingredient in many dishes. Between 1992 and 1997, the number at least doubled in nontraditional markets such as Alabama, Iowa, Maine, and Montana, according to the National Restaurant Association. The industry also benefits from mainstream appeal. Super Bowl Sunday is the second highest day of consumption, at 22 million pieces of fruit.
Avocado growers face difficulties both unique to their industry and common to all farmers.
Because groves tend to be on steep hills, where growing conditions are ideal, growers use large amounts of energy to pump water to trees - expensive in this season of power shortages. Growers must also contend with thieves who raid their groves at night and smugglers who bring cheap fruit up from Mexico to sell along roadsides and at restaurant back doors. Then there is increased import competition from Mexico, Chile and New Zealand. In Mexico, there are native insects that eat the fruit and predators on those pests that aren't yet widespread in California, said Mark Hoddle, an entomologist with the University of California at Riverside. But the expansion of Mexican imports poses a serious threat to domestic groves, Hoddle said.