Jen's Pick: Biggest avocado season celebrated

Jen Scoular is the chief executive of Avocado Industry Council. Photo / Joel Ford

Across the industry we are celebrating our biggest season ever - in both value and volume.

Industry value increased to nearly $200 million, a huge achievement for our industry, when we look back to the $70m value in the 2012-13 season.

This season we collectively grew, harvested, packed, transported, marketed and sold a record 7.6 million trays.

Often we find where volumes are high, prices are lower - but with excellent planning and market execution, value for each tray remained very strong in all of our markets.

As an industry we are enjoying a wonderful tail-wind - as globally, consumers demand more of this nutritious, delicious, versatile fruit. Demand in all markets exceeded supply, even in our largest volume season.

Australia remains the industry's largest export market with almost insatiable consumer demand.

There's been a story about Sydneysiders having to choose between saving up to buy a house or regularly eating avocados on toast, where the answer was they would prefer to keep enjoying their avocados.

This might have been bad news but that story, like many others, just increases the publicity about our wonderful product.

New Zealanders too enjoyed more avocados this season, adding them regularly to their shopping baskets.

We know Kiwis love to cook, and the sharing of new recipes for avocados across social media has been very good.

Recipes we develop for Asian markets also have real appeal in New Zealand as foodies learn different ways to add the healthy attributes of an avocado to Asian meals.

As an industry we are feeling very positive, and the opportunity ahead for the amazing avocados only makesus feel more excited to be part of it.