The 2022 wildcrafted Mexican Oregano crop started mid to later September. Under normal conditions the four (4) month harvest season starts in late July for all of the five major collection areas throughout Mexico.

The late spring and summer rains in the areas of Chihuahua, San Luis, Durango, Zacatecas, and Jalisco collection areas caused very late growth in general. Smaller collection sites in Guanajuato, Querétaro, and Tamaulipas are unknown at this time but we expect conditions to apply to these regions as well.

Competition in all regions is very high causing prices to adjust to supply constraints. Harvesters are demanding slightly higher pricing due to the shortness of the season which ends with the first frost in mid to late October.

Delays in raw material delivery to cleaning plants are causing US export delays. This is attributed to lack of viable growth volumes for harvest in some areas as well as the national Mexican market absorbing the early harvested material. All indications point to an escalation in raw material prices through the end of harvest.

Summary: 

A shortened harvest season due to abnormal weather patterns, macro-economic uncertainty due to geopolitical events, and tightening money markets are leading to lower supply side dynamics. We anticipate a smaller than normal surplus to supply the winter months which is held in Mexico warehouses. All current forecasts for the current 2022 crop do not indicate ample carryover surplus.