The Australian avocado industry has received some positive news, with domestic consumers lifting their avocado consumption to 3.8 kilograms per person, per year.
“Avocado production in Australia also increased, climbing to 85,546 tonnes in 2018/19, compared to 77,032t in 2017/18,” Avocados Australia CEO John Tyas said. “This 11 per cent increase is another record for Australian avocado production. We’re forecasting production will increase strongly in the next few years, to at least 115,000t a year by 2025, so there will be even more great Australian avocados in the years to come.”
Australians were eating 3.5kg/person in 2017/18, but as production levels increase, there will also be more avocados on offer for export markets.
“In both production and exports, Australia is currently a small player in the world avocado market,” Mr Tyas said. “Our recently released 2018/19 Facts at a Glance shows that we exported just 3,195t, or 3.7 per cent of our domestic production, mostly to Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.”
Mr Tyas said as more trees matured and production increased, there would be a need to both expand current export markets and open up new opportunities with a further production increase expected in 2019/20.
“Solid supply is expected to continue right through summer which is great as we lead into the Festive Season when lots of salads will be served up,” he said. “Obviously, we’re hoping Australians keep enjoying their avocado from breakfast to dinner.”
Mr Tyas said Queensland continued to produce the majority of Australia’s avocados, accounting for 55 per cent, with Western Australian growers producing 30 per cent, followed by New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
In Australia, avocados are produced all year round due to the range of climates and conditions in eight major avocado growing regions. Hass is the predominant variety at 81 per cent of the national production, and next is a greenskin variety called Shepard, at 16 per cent.
The full Avocados Australia 2018/19 Facts at a Glance is available online at avocado.org.au/newspublications/statistics/
For more information:
Avocados Australia
Phone: +61 7 3846 6566
admin@avocado.org.au
www.avocado.org.au