Rain and cyclones flood orchards
NZ: Concerns to the longer term impacts on avocados
The season just finished with 7.7 million trays produced; 2.8 million in the New Zealand domestic market and 4.9 million in the export market.
"Demand for avocados is stunning," Chief Executive Jen Scoular said. "Consumers are very keen to learn about the nutritional value of avocados and the versatility is something that is really helping us talk about it in new ways and new recipes."
Hass avocado trees are inherently alternate bearing, meaning they have a high volume crop one year and a much lower crop the next. This is a global challenge and being mitigated with on-orchid management practises.
In New Zealand this remains the industry’s largest challenge and after a very high volume in 2016-17, the first crop estimate for the coming season is down.
Cyclones Debbie and Cook hit a main production area on the north island, around the Bay of Plenty which accounts for around 60% of avocado production in the country.
NZ Avocado says the damage was random in terms of the locations of the orchards impacted.
"The cyclone certainly had a negative impact," Ms Scoular said. "Some orchards were quite significantly damaged with trees uprooted, and there is waterlogging across the region which avocado trees definitely do not like. We've already had prolonged periods of wet weather so the rain hit already wet soil. Avocado trees do not like water logged soil so we do have concerns to the longer term impacts of this weather on our trees.
Ms Scoular says with the wetter conditions, it is important growers remain vigilant to potential diseases such as root rot.
"Growers are aware of the need to manage the health of their trees which will usually include phosphonate application, at least annually," she said.