The total cost of Cyclone Yasi to Australia’s avocado industry will become apparent in the coming months as harvesting begins in the affected area of North Queensland.
According to Avocados Australia CEO Antony Allen the category-five storm destroyed 20 per cent of the crop in North Queensland and caused skin blemishes to a further 30-40 percent of the fruit.
It is estimated the storm caused A$10m in damage to the industry in North Queensland.
Mr Allen told Fruitnet.com the area had been expecting its largest-ever crop before the cyclone struck in the early hours of 3 February. He added that while a significant portion of the crop had been lost he still believed there was enough good-quality fruit to fill export orders.
North Queensland supplies a growing market in Asia and sends fruit to Hong Kong Singapore and Thailand, he said.
Domestic consumers, however, would notice some superficial damage to avocados in the coming months, he said, as the region affected by the cyclone typically produced 80-85 per cent of Australia’s avocados during March and April.
He hoped consumers would support growers in the affected region by continuing to buy avocados. “Many growers face a long road to recovery, with some suffering significant losses of fruit and others reporting damage to their trees, which were blown to the ground. We are urging consumers to help them get back on their feet by continuing to buy avocados, despite their imperfect appearance,” he said.
“We are not asking consumers to reduce their standards as the fruit still tastes as good as always,” he continued. “Supermarkets will continue to enforce strict quality control on all fruit and vegetables, ensuring any imperfections lie on the surface of the skin only.”
Mr Allen said it would take around 12 months for the industry in North Queensland to recover from the cyclone.“In the interim, we will rely heavily on supplies from Bundaberg. Some fruit will also come in from Western Australia,” he added.
