California avocado season extending to early fall on robust harvest

The California avocado industry is proving it’s still worth “waiting in the green,” as the Golden State enjoys an extended season on strong yields. California Avocado Commission (CAC) VP of Marketing Terry Splane told FreshFruitPortal.com they expect “promotional volume through October.”

While final season numbers are still pending, initial projections put the California harvest at 375 million pounds, which would bring production to a five-year high. In 2024, projections fell short as California growers surpassed the initial estimate of 208 million pounds by over 50 percent, ending the season with close to 350 million pounds harvested. 

With this positive outlook, the commission’s hopes for the 2025 campaign remain high. Splane says that they have continued to tailor marketing efforts to keep the fruit in motion, as volumes are expected to taper off after Labor Day.

"Retail chains with modest store counts or overall volume generally are the ones who benefit most from the extended availability of California avocados,” Splane says regarding CAC’s marketing efforts. “These tend to be regional chains, and often they are based in California. Some smaller chains outside of California may also be part of the deal."

The season is anticipated to wrap up more quickly in some areas compared to last year’s longer tail-end harvest. Splane attributes this to factors beyond weather, including early-season demand and supporting programs. 

"One factor is that there was strong demand around Cinco de Mayo, and more accounts had supporting programs for California avocados early in the season," Splane explains. Despite an overall slowdown, many growers in the northern California region have paced their harvests to maintain volumes. 

“Many of our loyal retailers are excited that we have this extended availability of our season, and we are collaborating on some stellar promotional programs,” Splane adds.  

Going beyond Hass avocado

First discovered by Rudolph Hass in the mid-1920s, the Hass variety is a California native, and virtually every Hass avocado in the world can be traced back to the “Mother Tree” in La Habra Heights. Today, it continues to be the top choice among avocado lovers.

The CAC supports all California varieties, so most programs are not specific to a single one, Splane says. However, the commission continues to educate shoppers about the features and availability of varieties like GEM and Reed.

“We are hopeful that both supply and demand will grow to help develop new varieties. Hass remains the dominant variety, though," Splane adds.

Splane announced plans to expand marketing initiatives in 2026, including more displays and tailored signage for specific retailers. "The program is working very well; we simply plan to increase it."

*All photos courtesy of the California Avocado Commission.