After a super start to the season, avocado prices have started to come under pressure over the past week in the European market as it absorbs around 3 million 14kg cartons of avocados weekly from across the world. For the past three weeks, South Africa’s weekly contribution has averaged around 430,000 cartons.However, for avocados of popular counts – counts 16 to 20 for Hass – a premium is still paid. Some producers have noted smaller sizes on their avocados this year, but it is by no means true for the entire industry.
In general, fruit sizes have been larger than last year due to good rains and favourable weather conditions during fruit development. A smaller crop in cultivars such as Fuerte has also contributed positively to fruit size.
The harvest itself is about 10% down on the previous season, confirms Derek Donkin of umbrella organisation Subtrop, but this is the product of a combination of factors like the drought as well as the cyclical nature of avocado bearing. This is manifested as a slump of up to 35% in some avocado blocks, fortunately counterbalanced by higher-yielding blocks.
“The start of the season was excellent, due to the gap left by the absence of Peru, but since a week or so ago prices have come under a lot of pressure,” comments Francois Vorster of Mahela Boerdery in Limpopo Province.
The vast majority – 95% - of South Africa’s export avocados are destined for Europe, with the balance going to Africa, the Middle East and the Far East. South African avocados don’t yet have market access to China but the process of gaining such access will get under way when such negotiations regarding South African pears have been finalised. (The date of completion of negotiations to secure Chinese market access for South African pears is uncertain, but it might happen during this year.)
For more information:
Derek Donkin
Subtrop
Tel: +27 15 306 6240
Email: derek@subtrop.co.za