However, according to Rani Friedlander, general manager of exporter Agrexco's UK office, the UK is a priority market and he is not expecting volumes to suffer.

He said: 'The crop has been reduced because of the heat, but we hope that for the UK market there will not be a big effect as even in a short market globally, it will have priority.

'It is the green-skin varieties that are more affected than Hass, which the UK prefers.' Total volumes across all varieties are likely to drop from last season's 30,000-35,000 tonnes down to 25,000-28,000t, although it is still very early in the season to forecast entirely accurately.

First arrivals of green-skinned varieties are expected in the UK in two weeks' time, with Hass and Fuerte due in mid-November. Depending on availability, the season could extend until May next year.

Agrexco is forecasting a higher value market because of the relative shortage of fruit, and because main rival Spain is experiencing a lighter volume year than last. This is in keeping with the tendency of trees to produce less fruit in the season after a high-volume year.

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