Spanish Farmers Raise Alarm Over Pesticide Residues in Imported Avocados

Despite being the European leader in avocado production, Spain has massively imported this fruit from Morocco and Peru in recent years. The problem with these imported avocados is that they are increasingly contaminated. They do not comply with the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) established by European regulations, according to El Debate.

According to the Union of Farmers and Breeders Unions of the Valencian Community, the situation has worsened during the first four months of the year. "From three alerts in 2024, we went to seven in 2025, an increase of 133%, all due to the abusive use of cadmium from Peru, the main exporting country of avocados to the EU market, followed by Morocco," notes the organization, calling on the EU to take firm measures to end this situation.

In January 2025, Spanish avocado imports increased by 68% overall and 89% from Morocco. Meanwhile, the price of avocados from the Valencian Community, particularly the Lamb Hass variety, the most planted, fell by 29%, from an average of 2.44 euros per kilo in March 2024 to only 1.73 euros per kilo in March 2025.

The agricultural organization denounces unfair competition and mentions a risk to consumer health. It recommends increasing the maximum rate of fruit and vegetable border controls, currently at 30%, to 50% for a period of one year. It also calls for stopping fruit and vegetable imports from Morocco and Peru, due to the repeated presence of pesticide residues not authorized in the EU or exceeding established MRLs.