Record prices being paid for avocados in some overseas markets are out of reach for many growers in Northland, where the drought has brought crops of smaller fruit.
Although up to 90mm of rain fell in parts of the region on Monday, it was too late to prevent damage to crops this year and next year.
Team Avocado says most of this year's crop is much smaller than normal, creating difficulties in places like Australia, where customers prefer bigger fruit.
A standard 5.5kg box holds 20 big or 30 small fruit. Avocados are fetching between $4 and $5 each in Australian supermarkets at the moment.
Team Avocado says smaller fruit are generally worth about 25% less than bigger fruit.
