A report published by the Hass Avocado Board (HAB) claims to show strong evidence that industry sponsored marketing programmes have led directly to a rise in fresh avocado consumption in the US.

The five-year review of the HAB’s activities –the second to be carried out since the body was established in 2002 – evaluated its activities in the period between 2008 and 2012. It reviewed an assessment of recent trends in the US fresh avocado market, as well as looking at the amount spent on promotional campaigns and weekly sales figures for the five-year period.

Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of HAB said the study “concluded with a high degree of confidence that the promotional programmes supported by HAB have yielded net benefits to producers”.

The report claims that a rapid increase in avocado sales has been achieved in the US while keeping real grower prices relatively stable – an outcome only possible with substantial demand growth.

“While the report focuses on industry impacts, the results provide confirmation of two very positive consumer trends,” Escobedo said. “Fresh avocados have gone from being a somewhat exotic niche product in the US, perhaps served on the occasional holiday, to a mainstream, fresh produce category consumed nowadays by many as a staple part of their diets.”

He pointed out that while many factors were behind the growth in the industry, highly successfully marketing programmes had clearly played a prominent role.

Secondly, he said the benefits from industry-sponsored marketing programmes extended to consumers, who have enjoyed access to increased regional and seasonal availability of high quality fruit.

“Consumers now typically find year-round, permanent fresh avocado displays in the retailers’ produce sections containing fruit of varying levels of ripeness and/or instructions for determining if an avocado is ready to eat and how to care for it,” he said.

The report further concluded that expanding marketing programmes would lead to further demand increases.

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