Central Daily News reported on January 29th that avocado has recently become more popular in China. The import volume gradually increases year after year. It is reported that avocado can prevent heart disease. Young, middle-class people who came back from studies or travels abroad started to buy avocado. China has recently agreed with Chile and Peru to cancel the customs duty on avocado.
A factory worker shows the "qualified" label on an avocado in a Mexican avocado packaging factory in Uruapan, Michoacan.
The news article further stated that the price of avocado has recently increased. On January 26th, the price of Hass avocado from Michoacan, Mexico, was 340 pesos per kg (around 116 yuan [18.42 USD]). That is an increase of 26% compared to 3 months ago, and an increase of about 17% compared to 1 year ago (290 pesos). About 80% of the avocados consumed in The United States are produced in Mexico. However, because of a strike in Mexico, the avocado production volume last year decreased by 20%.
Australia recently also faced a shortage of avocado supply. They even experienced the "2018 avocado depression". Coffee houses and cafeteria were desperately looking for a supply of avocado. Apart from this, more and more restaurants reduced the amount of avocado used in avocado-based food products. Some even removed all avocado-based dishes from their menu. According to the Australian ABC-channel news report, the price of a box of avocado last year dropped to by almost 50% to 45 or 50 Australian dollars (1 Australian dollar is about 5.12 yuan [0.81 USD]). This month the price increased again to 95 Australian dollars (each box contains 24 avocados). This is because their main supplier of avocados, New Zealand, encountered unexpected typhoons.
The news article further stated that the appetite for avocados in China and neighboring countries will continue to increase, and so the price of avocados will do the same.
Source: Reference News