This year's avocado season in California has progressed ahead of schedule when compared to previous seasons. Growers point to the state's water shortage as one of the reasons for the accelerated timing of this year's harvest.“We're heading into the latter part of the season now in California,” said Dave Fausset, sales manager for Mission Produce. “We'll have good volume through July and into August, but volume will drop off significantly by the end of August.” While avocados are typically available through September, and sometimes even into October, the timing of this year's harvest has everything ahead of schedule.
“We're about a month ahead of where we normally are, due to dry conditions, so the fruit is acting like it's already August,” said Fausset. “The fruit is very mature, so the flavor profile is exceptional right now.” Volume is expected to be around 300 million pounds, which is a drop from last year's record-high crop that reached 500 million pounds. Prices were steady through June, though they have come down as fruit volumes have increased.
“We're seeing prices start to come off a little because there's a decent amount of fruit from California, Mexico and Peru,” said Fausset. “Demand is a little sluggish, with supplies higher than demand, so it can pick back up after the holiday this weekend.”
For more information:
Dave Fausset
Mission Produce
+1 805 981 3655