Far North avocado farmers dealt 20-year low prices after Western Australia supply

A national turf war over avocado produce has erupted with a Far North grower pointing “five fingers” at his competitors as local farmers dump crops. KNOW WHY AVOCADOS ARE CHEAP

A NATIONAL turf war over avocado produce has erupted with a Far North grower pointing “five fingers” at his competitors as local farmers dump crops.

An abundance of roadside stalls across the Tablelands and Mareeba tell a sad tale of desperation from avocado growers who are facing 20-year low prices as material costs double.

Avocados Australia North Queensland director and Atherton grower Jim Kochi said avocados were retailing at about $1.20 per fruit, down from $2 to $3 last year. It meant farmers were receiving much less as an oversupply from an extended Western Australian season represented 21 per cent of shelve space, now two months into the Far North’s season.

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“North Queensland is producing about 61 per cent of Australia’s avocado supply at the moment,” he said.

“We had increased plantings here, but a lot of the markets have been flooded recently so they’re not storing any avocados and Western Australia still has a large carry over.”

He said this time last year, from March 19-25, national markets combined received 270,000 trays, whereas this year in the same week, that number was 475,000 trays.

Mr Kochi said Western Australian growers, who generally supplied the domestic market over the summer months with the hass variety, had the option to export their produce to Japan.

“But instead of sending thousands of tonnes, they sent less than 100 (tonnes).

“Exporting is a bit more difficult here because we have fruit flies we have to deal with.”

Mr Kochi said the situation had left experienced local growers “shocked” and newer growers “poleaxed”.

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He said the grading of fruit had become a lot stricter and only Premium and Class 1 avocados were being packed, leaving farmers no choice but to dump the remains.

“So some fruit that would’ve been Class 1, is now being classed as 2, and getting dumped out. It’s definitely not common practice.

“If you’ve ever wanted to save for a house deposit and eat avocados, now is the time,” he said.

Cairns cafe Mama Coco manager Yasmin Gauci said demand from consumers certainly hadn’t fallen away.

“We have two avocado dishes, and they both ‘go out the door’ everyday. It’s still popular as ever,” she said.

Originally published as Far North avocado farmers dealt 20-year low prices after Western Australia supply