Jen's Pick: Our avocados in high demand

Already the industry has shipped 3.6 million trays of avocados, with more to come.

I hope readers had a lovely break and enjoyed the wonderful sunshine we've had across New Zealand.

I'm happy to be into 2017 which is already trucking along as we move into the last quarter of the avocado season.

By the end of last week the industry had shipped 3.6 million trays - that's more than 2200 20 foot containers of avocados.

That's on top of packing 1.2 million tray equivalents for the New Zealand market.

I was in Australia last week, where 80 per cent of our export fruit is destined. Demand has been terrific in Australia, and our fruit in high need as supply out of Western Australia has been down this year.

I visited the Sydney market with Marisa Till, our research manager. Marisa hadn't been to the fruit markets before.

The markets are a picture of loveliness, with the most perfectly produced, colourful, and lushest fruit and vegetables you can find.

I always want to buy everything and go home and cook up a storm - you could certainly contemplate becoming a vegetarian after visits to the fruit market.

Avocados were in short supply, with a few from New Zealand and none from Australia on the wholesale floor when we visited.

It's always impressive to meet the in-market partners of the New Zealand exporters. The strong relationships between them is always evident, demonstrating the positive way business is transacted, and the value of the avocado trade.

We also visited seven different retail stores in Sydney - and growers can be proud to know that avocados are displayed very prominently in every store we went into.

Avocados, berries and mangos are the fruit of the month, with avocados right at the front of the produce department, and then again, often next to red tomatoes further into the store.

It's good to see our fruit going through the supply chain quickly as we have had some challenging weather conditions to contend with this year.

It was a cool autumn, which became an unseasonably warm winter, but then the spring had prolonged periods of rain.

Picking in the rain is not recommended, not only from a health and safety perspective for the harvesters, but it isn't good for the fruit.

I learnt a new word - turgid - which means the avocado gets full of water.

Turgid fruit is then more prone to damage during the packing and logistics phase, which can result in quality issues in the market.

A market short of fruit minimising the risk of this, which I'm very pleased we have this year.

I'm loving the supply of avocados available this summer. People assume I get a good supply of avocados but I can assure readers I buy my avocados, unless of course I get a lovely tray of them from one of our exporters which my team and I all enjoyed just before Christmas.

I did take a few avocados to each of the friends and family I visited over the break, and made Nadia Lim's avocado and chocolate mousse at my sister's place at New Year - wow, that's good.

Avocados are full of B vitamins which help with your energy levels, so those of you feeling a bit blue and sad to be re-joining the reality of normal working hours - perhaps avocados are just what you need to help you ease back into it!