Mexico is sending more troops to its main avocado-growing region after the U.S. Department of Agriculture pulled its field inspectors from packing facilities in Michoacán over security concerns, halting exports.

Without USDA inspectors on the ground, avocados cannot ship to the U.S., and prices could rise. According to officials, 70% of avocados enter the country through the Pharr International Bridge.

Inside Villita Avocados in Pharr, boxes are still moving and orders are still going out. But shipments from Michoacán have stopped.

Villita Avocados Chief Strategy Officer Aaron Acosta said the last fruit to ship out left on Thursday.

Acosta explained that USDA inspectors play a key role in the export process, checking fruit at certified orchards and again once it is packed.

He said inspections also help keep pests and diseases from crossing the border.

Villita Avocados has facilities in both Michoacán and Jalisco.

"Right now we're depending on our Jalisco facility 100%," Acosta said.

But Acosta said that cannot last.

"We may be able to supplement volume from Jalisco for a short period, but in the end we need the Michoacán packing facilities to be up and operational to ensure that everybody gets their avocados in the U.S.," Acosta said.

The pause has already knocked about four to six days of work out of their normal process, from picking fields to packing to getting fruit ready to ship.

"It'll take us a while to get those four days back into the rotation, but the sooner we can get that fruit out, we can start looking at solutions for a long-term solution to this problem," Acosta said. "We have our organizations asking the federal governments of the U.S. and Mexico to allow us to pack those and send those to the U.S. so that they don't spoil."

Acosta said he is hopeful there could be good news before Monday. If that fruit is released, he said it can usually reach the border within two days.

But if the suspension continues into next week, shortages could follow.

"We can't depend on Jalisco to make up for the shortages out of Michoacán... if we don't reach peak efficiencies, there'll be some shortages," Acosta said.

Shoppers may start to notice the impact at the store level.

"If you start going into stores and you start seeing smaller displays, that is how supermarkets kind of adjust. So maybe there aren't 10 boxes on display. Maybe there are two, but it's a clear indicator that something is not right," Acosta said.

On pricing, Villita Avocados said it is committed to keeping prices steady for its customers for the next 10 days, hoping operations return to normal before shoppers feel the difference.

Acosta said he hopes the situation leads to a longer-term plan.

"It's not finding a solution right away. I hope it expands the communication to a long-term plan, which will include protocols for upticks in violence. We really need to look at a game plan," Acosta said.

Channel 5 News reached out to the City of Pharr and the Pharr International Bridge for a statement on the possible economic impact if the suspension continues and whether they have seen any changes or concerns with avocado shipments. As of Friday evening, Channel 5 News had not received a response.

Watch the video above for the full story.