Is California's Avocado Industry Collapsing? | Gary Gragg | Katarina Szulc

Tue, 05 May 2026 14:41:44 +0000

The avocado most people buy at the grocery store was born in a Southern California backyard a hundred years ago. The industry that grew around it may not survive there much longer.

California avocados are losing ground to imports from Michoacán, Mexico, where cartel organizations have moved beyond extorting farmers to seizing their land outright. For California growers already competing against lower labor and environmental costs, the pressure has no simple answer.

In this episode, Gary Gragg, president of Golden Gate Palms & Exotics Inc., and Katarina Szulc, LATAM freelance reporter, examine how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) opened California's avocado market to foreign competition it was never built to absorb, and what that has meant for local growers trying to stay in business under some of the most demanding farming regulations in the country.

00:00 - Intro
01:29 - Avocado Industry Overview and Historical Context
05:43 - Challenges Faced by Avocado Farmers
09:58 - Cartel Influence on the Avocado Industry
19:37 - Innovative Farming Techniques
25:42 - Supporting Local Avocado Production

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Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of California Insider.
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