Australians can expect more than 68,000 tonnes of avocados to hit retailer shelves in coming months

Avocado production and consumption continues to rise in Australia, with more than 68,000 tonnes of avocados expected to hit retail shelves in coming months.

Ideal weather conditions have set the scene for a bumper crop from March to November, says grower-owned marketing company the Avolution.

“In recent years we’ve seen Australia’s love for avocados go into overdrive and growers are working around the clock to meet demand. Many new tree plantings have been made so production can increase, but it takes years for trees to start bearing fruit,” said Antony Allen, CEO of the Avolution.

In the past 20 years, production has increased form 18,00 tonnes a year to 68,500 tonnes in 2015, with coordinated marketing helping keep the domestic market prices stable, while new export markets have also been opened.

Earlier this year, avocado prices hit a peak due to a shortage of supply from New Zealand alongside weather issues in Western Australia. But the higher prices didn’t deter consumers.

“Despite the rise in cost, the public’s buying behavior remained unchanged as droves of Aussies sought to get their avocado fix,” Allen said.

Source: http://www.fruitnet.com/produceplus/article/168233/bumper-avo-crop-on-cards-for-australia-1