South African avocados are on course for a similar-sized export crop to last season of around 9.5 million 4kg cartons, according to the South African Avocado Growers’ Association (SAAGA).
Fruit is expected to be top quality, thanks to favourably dry conditions during the growing period, said SAAGA chairman Don Westcott. “Quantities would be higher if weather had been cooler and wetter, but decent levels of rainfall in the last few weeks have ensured supply is more than sufficient to meet demand,” he told FPJ.
Small quantities of the three million cartons destined for the UK have already arrived in the market, and shipments are expected to continue through to late October. Supplies will peak from May to July.
“The UK will continue to be our largest single country market this year, absorbing around a third of overall volumes,” said Derek Donkin, ceo of South African Subtropical Growers’ Association, which comprises SAAGA and three other grower associations. “We will be organising our 13th promotional campaign in the UK as well this summer.”
This season’s activities will see a return to a more integrated approach, with both a focused media campaign with consumer press appearances and the support of television’s Nicky Hambleton-Jones of 10 Years Younger, along with tastings organised in store.
The UK still continues to lean in favour of Hass avocados, according to Westcott, while Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany maintain strong demand for green-skinned varieties.
“SAAGA and individual growers are ploughing money into variety research. But with avocados, the whole process from conception to market can take 15-20 years,” said Donkin. “One area we are looking at is reducing pesticide usage as much as possible. Some seven per cent of our exports are now organic.”
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