Offsetting Price Impacts from Imports with Generic Advertising and Promotion Programs: The Hass Avocado Promotion and Research Order

California avocado producers, concerned about sharp increases in imports from Chile and Mexico, secured passage of national legislation to include financial participation by imports in U.S. generic promotion programs. Estimated demand parameters for avocados indicate that new advertising and promotion funded by the 2.5 cents per pound assessment on all Hass avocados sold in the U.S. can offset a portion of the price impact of increased imports. Producers of other specialty crops may want to investigate the feasibility of using national promotion and research orders to expand demand when faced with increased production or imports.