Monica Bratuti Turners International of New Zealand-owned fresh produce marketing business, explains how avocados’ versatility combined with a relative lack of market penetration in some of the world’s major consumer markets means there is still ample room for growth in sales worldwide.

“It’s not only that it’s a healthy fruit, but it’s also a very generous fruit that allows you to never stop learning new ways to eat it or drink it or use it,” she tells Fruitnet’s Chris White in the latest episode of Fruitbox.

When it comes to potential market growth, she says, future expansion for the avocado category will definitely be seen in areas like south-east Asia and the Middle East. “Russia is also becoming a very interesting market for avocados more and more,” she observes. “But if you take into consideration the large population of China and India, I think those two markets are quite important for the future of avocado sales. As you know, India can now import avocados from Peru, which is quite interesting.“

But there are some clouds on the horizon, not least because of apparent oversupply at certain times of the year.

“Sometimes during the year there are a lot of avocados [available] and this creates a collapse in the market, that makes it very difficult to move large volumes when there are so many countries producing at the same time,” Bratuti adds.

“The whole industry suffers. Right now, for example, we have hundreds and hundreds of avocado shipments coming from Peru into Europe, combined with Kenya and a couple of other countries. This creates difficult days for everyone involved. That’s why it’s important to have communication between growers, packers and customers keep that information going the best way possible.”

Hosted by Chris White in London, Fruitbox now attracts a big audience across the global fruit and vegetable business that tunes in twice a week to hear exclusive interviews and expert analysis.

Produced by Fruitnet Media International, the show is essential listening for everyone in the fresh produce industry.

To find out how you can tell your story on Fruitbox, emailchris@fruitnet.com.

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