Good news for avocado lovers - prices could drop eventually as more homegrown avocados come on to the market.
Photo: Wikicommons
The group marketing New Zealand avocados says rapid industry growth should help ease supply pressures here.
Representatives of the largest avocado growing nations are visiting New Zealand this week for an international industry conference.
Avocado New Zealand chief executive Jen Scoular said the focus of the meeting was to look at the future of the industry from a global perspective.
New Zealand does not import any avocados, relying on what growers here supply, which can put pressure on prices of the seasonally grown fruit.
In May, Statistics New Zealand reported a small harvest had resulted in a record 37 percent rise in the average price of a 200g avocado to $5.06, compared to $3.69 in April. There was even a spate of avocado thefts.
Mexico, Peru and Chile have shown interest in supplying avocados to New Zealand.
Ms Scholar said while she understood those discussions were ongoing, the amount of avocados being grown here was increasing rapidly and that should help ease prices and supply in the future.
"We have got 20 percent [more] new plantings of avocado orchards, particularly in Northland," Ms Scholar said.
"The additional plantings of avocadoes in New Zealand will mean we will have a lot bigger supply, and that may well satisfy the consumers in New Zealand in terms of their increasing love of avocados," she said.
