Most avocados Americans will eat during the Super Bowl will cross through Pharr

If you eat guacamole on Super Bowl Sunday, odds are it passed through Pharr.

The Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge serves as the primary entry point for Mexican avocados bound for U.S. supply chains ahead of the Super Bowl.

Producers and industry groups project that about 280 million pounds of Mexican avocados will be shipped to the U.S. during the four weeks leading up to this year’s Super Bowl.

That’s an 11% increase over last year, according to the Association of Avocado Producers and Exporting Packers of Mexico (APEAM).

For the Rio Grande Valley, that surge translates into hundreds of additional truck crossings, tens of millions of dollars in cargo value, and one of the busiest logistics periods of the year.

“The Pharr International Bridge is the main gateway for this operation, processing approximately 70% of all avocados entering the United States from Mexico,” Pharr Bridge Director Luis Bazán told the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal. 

A Super Bowl supply chain

The Super Bowl remains the single largest avocado consumption event in the United States.

In a typical Super Bowl season, more than 114,000 metric tons of avocados are consumed nationwide, with most of those shipments arriving in the weeks before the game. For 2026, the projected 127,000 metric tons shows just how massive this period has become for growers, packers, and logistics operators on both sides of the border.

Álvaro Luque, president and CEO of Avocados From Mexico, said the season is about making sure retailers and food service operators have what they need when demand spikes.

“This record projection is not just about volume, but about certainty in quality, size availability, and promotional supply,” Luque said in a news release. “Our programs are designed to support partners year-round, especially during peak demand periods such as the Big Game.”

Last week marked the busiest week of the season, with roughly 38,000 metric tons shipped ahead of the showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in California.

Beyond the Super Bowl, Mexican avocado is also very much in demand during Cinco de Mayo and the summer season.

Pharr’s peak month

January is the busiest avocado month of the year at the Pharr International Bridge.

During January, Pharr processes an average of 170 to 200 avocado trucks per week. In January 2025 alone, 695 avocado trucks crossed through Pharr, marking the annual peak.

Bazán said the surge begins about four weeks before the Super Bowl.

“Volumes start to rise gradually in December, but the most aggressive spike occurs in the first and second weeks of January to ensure the product is ripe and fully distributed to store shelves,” he said.

The surge is also reflected in cargo value.

Last year, avocado shipments moving through Pharr jumped 18% in one month. They rose from about $205 million in December 2024 to nearly $242 million in January – a roughly $37 million increase in cargo value.

Mexican avocado giant expands to Pharr

For Aguacates La Bonanza, soaring U.S. avocado demand is reshaping how — and where — the company moves product, and it recently chose to invest in Pharr. 

Gabriel Alejandro Villaseñor Zurita, president of Aguacates La Bonanza, said the company operates under a vertically integrated model that controls every step of the supply chain.

“We are producers, packers, processors, exporters, and distributors in the U.S.,” Villaseñor said.

That structure allows the company to supply major retail and food-service chains nationwide, including Costco, Walmart, and H-E-B, as well as restaurant brands such as Chipotle, Cava, and Mi Cocina.

During peak demand periods tied to major consumption events such as the Super Bowl, Villaseñor said the company ships about 1,700 truckloads per week, totaling roughly 5,100 to 5,200 truckloads over a three-week span to supply the U.S. market.

Roughly 90% of Aguacates La Bonanza’s shipments into the U.S. move through Pharr, making the city the primary gateway for its cross-border operations.

To support that volume, the company is expanding its footprint in South Texas.

As part of its logistics growth, Aguacates La Bonanza is developing a new 110,000-square-foot warehouse in Pharr, Texas, where the groundbreaking took place last November.

“We are currently finishing the first phase. The contractors are scheduled to deliver it on the last day of October,” Villaseñor said.

The facility will be used for product handling and distribution.

Villaseñor said the company’s expanding footprint in Pharr reflects the scale of labor required to move avocados from orchards in Mexico to U.S. store shelves.

“Across the entire value chain — from Mexico to the United States — around 12,000 families are involved through direct and indirect employment,” Villaseñor said.

From orchard to U.S. shelves

Transporting avocados from Michoacán to Texas takes approximately 18 hours.

Once harvested, avocados reach U.S. markets within three to five days.

However, Villaseñor emphasized the long-term nature of avocado production.

“An avocado tree requires five to seven years to reach adequate production levels, depending on orchard altitude,” he said.

Produce industry outlook

For the broader produce industry, the Super Bowl marks the start of the strongest sales cycle of the year.

“This avocado season is extremely important. It’s one of the most relevant days of the year for the product,” said Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association.

“It’s when sales begin to ramp up and when consumers start thinking about avocados again,” Galeazzi said.

After a period marked by water constraints in Mexico and higher consumer prices, Galeazzi said the market is showing signs of stabilizing.

“Now that inflation is lower and consumers better understand pricing, we have another opportunity to grow sales,” he said.