New Zealand’s largest ever avocado crop has been successfully harvested, packed and marketed with a record seven million trays sold during the 2014-15 season. 

NZ Avocado head Jen Scoular yesterday announced the volume which was 43% higher than last season, and up from a previous industry high of 6.1 million trays sold in 2011-12.

Scoular added that grower returns had been'fantastic'.

“Growth in the consumption of avocados in our key markets continues to be very impressive. The Australian market performed very well for us, with strong matching of supply and demand by our exporters," she said in a release.

"Demand for our premium produce is growing in emerging Asian markets like Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. The New Zealand market performed well, with new collateral and increased engagement within the sector.

"To have achieved sales of [NZ]$135m [US$94 million] in our largest season to date, is a fantastic result and a credit to the hard work across the industry.”

Avocado trees bear fruit irregularly so crop volumes vary each year. Sales returns have historically decreased wth larger volumes, but the industry has almost matched last season’s record sales of NZ$136 million (US$95 million) thanks to strong consumer demand, a collaborative strategy across exporters and New Zealand marketers, and efforts to manage volumes and develop new markets.

“The New Zealand avocado industry is in great shape," Scoular said.

"We are working well together, jointly developing collateral and new markets, collaborating with resources and information and seeing real value being created across the industry.

“Growers, packers, marketers and exporters are collaborating and sharing information which is helping improve orchard performance and drive sales growth. We’re very pleased with this season’s return.”

A new orchard performance benchmarking system has been developed over the past two years to help measure research and development (R&D) initiatives and motivate growers to produce higher and more consistent yields, the release said.

"People are motivated by other people’s success and this system gives growers an incentive to improve their own orchard’s productivity,” Scoular explained.

This season also marks the first year of the avocado industry’s visionary Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). The program, called 'New Zealand Avocados Go Global', aims to triple productivity and increase avocado sales to NZ$280 million (US$196 million) by 2023.

“NZ Avocados Go Global is a five year programme and based on this year’s results we believe this forecast is achievable. We have an extensive R&D programme now in place.

"We have a strong partnership with Plant & Food Research, and have secured additional research funding through MBIE. Through these programmes we are analysing a number of factors such as irrigation, canopy management and tree health to develop and implement best practise to increase productivity.”

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