After two tough years, a national avocado industry body is optimistic about the current season.

New Zealand Avocado marketing and communications manager Matthew Ball said this was thanks to favourable weather conditions and the continued hard work and dedication from growers.

The past two years certainly had some significant challenges, said Ball, with Cyclone Dovi in 2022 and Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 impacting fruit quality and reducing export volumes.

“These weather events created tough conditions for growers, but resilience within the sector remains strong.

“Economic conditions proved difficult for many people in the past few years, not just in avocados but in wider horticultural sectors too.”

However, he says the current season looks promising, with reports of strong flowering and fruit set across key growing regions through spring.

This is expected to result in a crop of around seven million trays, up from the five million trays harvested in the previous year.

With financial institutions closely monitoring the sector, said Ball, this season’s anticipated strong yield is a positive signal of its viability and future potential.

“As the industry continues to adapt and innovate, New Zealand avocados remain highly regarded both domestically and internationally, reinforcing their position as a premium, sustainably grown fruit.”

Ball said about 1600 growers contribute to avocado production in New Zealand.

The Bay of Plenty remains the leading region, producing around 50 per cent of the country’s avocados, with many smaller orchards.

Avocado trees growing well on an orchard. Photo / Cara Davis/NZ Avocado

Northland accounts for 45% of production, featuring larger-scale orchards, while Auckland, Gisborne, and Taranaki also contribute.

Export Markets

About 50 to 60% of the New Zealand avocado crop is exported, primarily to Australia, with the balance supplied to the domestic market, including local supermarkets.

Ball said key Asian markets, including South Korea, Japan and Thailand, were also integral to the industry’s growth.

“A revised export strategy aims to better align supply with market demand, ensuring higher returns for growers and reducing pressure on the domestic market during peak export periods.

“The ongoing efforts to improve orchard management and market resilience demonstrate the industry’s determination to overcome challenges.”

New Zealand Avocado supported growers by focusing on research, development and marketing initiatives.

While the organisation does not sell or market avocados directly, Ball said it played a crucial role in optimising grower returns and ensuring levy contributions are well-utilised.

Grower’s thoughts

Northland grower Greg Rathbun is enjoying a promising season after two challenging years.

With partner Tann Duangprasit, he has 7ha of avocados on an 11ha property in Maungatapere, near Whangarei.

Rathbun said a combination of rough weather and lower returns in the past two seasons saw a number of growers pull out of the business.

This includes smaller operators on lifestyle blocks turning to other crops such as oranges, bananas and passionfruit, while some larger scale avocado orchards have returned to pasture for dairy and sheep purposes.

Sales Channels

Rathbun said he’s fortunate to not be totally reliant on avocados, while also having multiple channels to sell his crop.

A bulk amount is exported through a regional packhouse, while he has his own local customers and is also involved in a group of family-owned orchards in the area which sells avocados online to restaurants and households around the country.

Exports face increasing competition from other parts of the world, such as South America, and Rathbun admits the past two avocado seasons have been “a bit patchy” to say the least.

The sun rising over an avocado orchard. Photo: NZ Avocado

However, a good spring and promising signs for summer have growers in better heart going forward.

His property has the capacity for 2500 avocado trees, but Rathbun said a move from 700 to 1600 in recent years is “the right scale” for the operation.

The avocado season runs nearly all-year-round in Northland, with Rathbun’s latest crop mostly picked by December.

“It’s been quite a good quality year,” he said.

On his property summer signals the time for pruning and “feeding” with fertiliser, while irrigation is used as required.

Weather conditions

Prime conditions include a combination of evening rain and “not too much” wind, with a hot humid summer and temperatures then dropping by about 10C through winter.

In other parts of the country the avocado season typically runs from August to February.

Matthew Ball said the trees enjoy warm, frost-free environments, with temperatures ideally between 12C and 28C.

Well-draining soils are best, preventing root rot, as avocados are sensitive to waterlogged conditions.

Full sun exposure promotes healthy growth and fruit production, while protection from strong winds is required to prevent damage to the trees and fruit.

Ball said pruning was essential to maintain tree size, health, and productivity.

“It’s recommended to conduct major structural pruning in winter or early spring to avoid exposing branches to sunburn.

“After the main pruning, a light prune in autumn helps thin out new growth, ensuring better light penetration and air circulation.”