Avocado imports to cover gap in supply

Shoppers will pay high prices for avocados this month, even as Australian imports begin to trickle in to fill the gap in the homegrown supply.

Auckland prices hover around $5 an avocado and some stores have run out of the green fruit.

"We've had some trouble getting the Australian imports into the country," said Brett Ashley, general manager of fresh foods at Progressive Enterprises, which owns Foodtown, Countdown and Woolworths supermarkets.

"We would expect prices to come back over the next few weeks."

Alistair Petrie, general manager of New Zealand markets at produce distributor Turners & Growers, said prices probably would not drop much before local produce hit the shops.

"There might be a slight softening of prices," he said, "but it's a lot more expensive to buy [from Australia]."

Australian avocados - the only approved imports - would trickle into the market for the next three to four weeks, he said, but a price recovery would not begin until July.

"Prices will come back very quickly when local supply starts."

A crate containing 18kg of the fruit fetches between $180 and $240 at present - almost triple the price charged at the height of the domestic season, said Dr Jonathan Cutting, of the Avocado Growers Association.

Antony Allen, chief executive of Avocados Australia, said the high prices hurt both growers and consumers.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry says 32 tonnes of Australian avocados were imported between May 11 and June 15 last year. This year only 15.8 tonnes have been imported - so far.

"Each year it can take time for the flow to come up to speed," said Mr Allen.

Australian produce must be cold-treated for 16 days before being sent to New Zealand.

It took another week for the fruit to be dispersed, Mr Allen said, leaving a lag time of about 21 days before the product reached the shops.

Dr Cutting said rising demand had put increasing strain on domestic production, which was strongest between August and April.

"It's moving into the diet, and it's become mainstream," he said.

In 2004-05, growers sold 5600 tonnes, more than triple the 1500 tonnes of the 1996-97 season.