A New Zealand avocado program has received Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) funding from the government and is fully underway, with plans to quadruple the industry's export revenue over the next 10 years.

The New Zealand Avocados Go Global program was given NZ$8.5 million (US$7.4 million) at the beginning of June, becoming the first fresh produce program to receive PGP financial support.

New Zealand Avocado CEO Jen Scoular told www.freshfruitportal.com she hoped the funding could increase revenue by improving production and helping to market avocados in new countries.

"We've got two significant challenges. One is that we've got a very irregular and low yield from our orchards, and also we're very reliant on Australia as a single export market," Scoular said.

"So it's about increasing productivity and developing our new markets in Asia."

Scoular said one of the important things about the funding was that it created a platform for the whole industry to work together and find the best way to achieve targets.

"There's an awful lot of information that is there but we're not doing things with it. We've got growers who are regularly getting 20 [metric] tons a hectare off their orchards and being reasonably consistent with that, but the industry average is about four tons a hectare," she said.

"So the first thing is we have done is analyzed our 1,600 growers and have segmented those who are obviously doing things right, and we are now working with them to understand what they're doing that makes the positive difference and then sharing it with other growers."

Scoular said the avocados would be marketed in Asia with focus on people's desire for safe and healthy food.

"The avocados have been grown in New Zealand, in our soils, with our weather, and they have gone through a very strict food safety and industry system programs before they retail to the consumer," she said.

"We believe that there are real advantages in the attributes of the avocadoes from New Zealand and part of the PGP is developing that story that differentiates our avocados."

Along with the significant increase in export revenue the industry plans over the next decade, it also hopes to triple productivity.

"Absolutely they're ambitious goals, but I believe they are obtainable," Scoular said.

Photo: www.shutterstock.com

www.freshfruitportal.com