The Hass avocado harvest in the Valencian Community, in Spain, is coming to a close earlier than usual this year due to lower yields and the impact of hailstorms in some producing areas. The market supply is relatively low, so prices remain high. The next variety to be harvested will be the Lamb Hass.
"In general terms, the fruit set hasn't been good due to the impact of heat waves this summer. In our case, we should have had a larger production this year, as our younger plantations have been reaching maturity," says Vicente Bayona, CEO of the producer and marketer Tropical Bayper and avocado plant sales representative for Viveros Brokaw in the Valencian Community.
© Tropical Bayper
"Also, in growing regions such as Camp de Morvèdre and Plana Baixa, among others, a significant part of the production has been spoiled by hail. Therefore, we estimate that yields could be between 25 and 30% lower this year," says Bayona.
Supply in the markets hasn't been abundant so far, and harvesting duties have been hindered by bad weather, both in Spain and Morocco. "In addition to a reduction in supply in Valencia, especially in Castellon, harvesting has been delayed by bad weather in Malaga, which is Spain's main producing area. Fewer avocados have also arrived from Morocco, which has also had plenty of rainy days, so the harvest has often been brought to a halt for several days in a row," says Bayona.
The lower supply has resulted in high prices for Valencian avocados, which are currently sold at the source for around 3.10 euros per kilo for sizes 12-14; 2.75 euros for sizes 16-18; 2.50 euros for sizes 20-22, and 2.00 euros for sizes 24-30.
"The demand for avocados is far outstripping supply at the moment, and prices are still on the rise," says the Tropical Bayper CEO, who predicts that prices will remain high until mid-February.
© Tropical Bayper
"At the moment, we have already finished harvesting the Hass, and we are already getting queries about the Lamb Hass, which we'll start harvesting as soon as it reaches optimum maturity; that is to say, when it has at least 23% dry matter. Although the Lamb Hass isn't as well-known as the Hass, it is gradually gaining popularity in large-scale European retail thanks to the sector's growing awareness about the importance of harvesting it at the right time and how flavor is affected by that," says Bayona.
Based in the municipality of Betxí, in the province of Castellón, Tropical Bayper's avocados are mainly intended for large-scale retailers in the Netherlands and Switzerland, as well as for an important supermarket chain in Spain, where demand for local avocados is constantly increasing.
In 2025, the acreage devoted to avocado cultivation in the Valencian Community stood at around 3,850 hectares, up 16% compared to 2024. Castellon is the province with the biggest growth.
According to Vicente Bayona, the acreage is expected to continue to increase in the coming years. "There have been more orders for avocado plants for 2026, motivated in part by the great difficulties faced during the clementine campaign, which is increasingly overlapping with the end of the mandarin campaign in the Southern Hemisphere."
For more information:
Vicente Bayona Pérez
Tropical Bayper
Tel.: +34 616445682
Tel.: +34 673420483
[email protected]
www.bayex.es
