Growers find expanding markets to save bumper avocado crop from oversupply

The Australian avocado industry is thriving despite producing a bumper crop this year. Record export volumes and growing domestic consumption have allowed the industry to handle the large harvest without significant oversupply issues. The Avocado Collective, which supports avocado growers across Australia, strategically sold this year's crop by exporting it early, particularly from Queensland's Shepard avocado season.

This strategy helped ensure growers received the best economic return and removed fruit from the domestic market. Far North Queensland grower Lawrence Massasso noted that domestic consumption has increased, allowing the industry to handle large crops more effectively. Avocado prices dropped to as low as 90 cents per piece due to the high supply, but the fruit still cleared and growers received a return on their investment.

Rabobank senior analyst Michael Harvey predicted that national production could reach about 170,000 metric tonnes in coming seasons, with Queensland producing about half of Australia's crop. Key export markets include Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and Thailand. Global avocado consumption is also on the rise, and global exports have quadrupled over the past 15 years.

Western Australia, the second-largest producing state, typically yields about 13.5 million trays of avocados per year, but production is expected to drop significantly next year due to a natural cycle in the crop.