Supplies of avocados out of California are increasing as the weeks go by. So far, volume has been steady out of both Mexico and California, with no adverse weather conditions. The only exception was an expected holiday in Mexico last week which saw a drop in production across the country.
"We are seeing good supplies of avocado out of Mexico," said Gahl Crane of Eco Farms Trading Operations. "Holy Week last week resulted in a shutdown of production across the country for about 4 days which caused volumes to go down. This was expected and happens every year. Apart from that, we've seen excellent supplies for the past 60 days, as well as a good size curve, all resulting in a nice fluidity of movement. California saw some rain in February and March which slowed down production, but numbers are increasing week by week as we approach the peak of the season in a couple of months."
Market moving nicely on back of retail promotions
The market on avocados has been strong and steady. Avocados are enjoying very good demand, but growers said that retail promotions are giving the market a boost, and ensuring that product movement remains swift.
"The market has been quite steady of late and retailers have been setting timely ads and promotions," Crane said. "Retailers do like a stable and reliable supply which is what's been happening and as a result, we're seeing good movement on avocados. We also have Cinco de Mayo coming up and we should start seeing promotions in stores in the next two weeks. As suppliers, we like to see retailers putting out ads as we want to keep the flow of product moving."
Organic steady
The organic avocado market is also steady. Crane noted that demand has been consistent along with supply. Overall availability continues to grow as more farmers become certified.
"We are seeing a good market and strong demand for organic avocados," he said. "Supplies also remain steady and there is a continued increase in availability. The amount of organic producers continues to grow each year."
Positive couple of months ahead
Predictions are that with warmer weather and more volume coming online for the season, the outlook remains positive for avocados. Growers are happy to be enjoying a stable market after the challenges of the previous year.
"California will see an increase in volume from May and into June," Crane said. "Peru is also set to start arrivals shortly after, particularly for the East Coast. We expect to see a good season out of Peru with reliable supplies. This gives us more confidence in supply after a challenging 2017. April will be a great month and we look forward to a positive outlook as the season progresses."
For more information:
Gahl Crane
Eco Farms Trading Operations
Tel: +1 (951) 676-4047