The 2015-16 avocado season has delivered bumper returns for growers.
New Zealand Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular said the final orchard gate return (OGR) per hectare for the industry was not yet available as the figures were still being compiled with new GIS mapping of hectarage.
However, key individual exporters are reporting record export tray returns. Industry sources note that exporters use different methods to arrive at their returns, making it difficult to directly compare performance.
Alistair Young, director of the Avoco joint venture, which accounts for about 60 per cent of the sector, said its growers had experienced a fabulous year. The average export OGR for Avoco's BOP growers was slightly more than $28 per tray, with the figures for Northland slightly lower because of additional freight costs, he said. Avoco, Just Avocados, and Seeka Kiwifruit Industries are understood to account for about 80 per cent of the sector.
Seeka's general manager grower services, Simon Wells, said 2015-16 had been an excellent year for the avocado industry and emphasised the need for the industry to continue to collaborate in the coming season.