QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

In a nutshell the national production figures for last week were as follows:

· Week 28, 2023 - The industry saw a whopping 49.48% increase on the previous week’s harvest with a total of 545,736 trays harvested and transported ( approx. 180,000 more trays) on Week 27, 2023 production. Hass variety supplying 539,210 trays harvested in addition to 6,526 trays of assorted other varieties also in this week’s reported figures. This important to note that approximately 14,000 trays of this weeks harvest went to processing. Central Qld is still in the lead for overall production at 45.08% of the total volume; North Qld still contributing 20.45% of the volume followed by a combined effort of South QLD (11.70%), WA (11.29%), Central NSW (8.09%) and the balance coming from the Sunshine Coast/Tamborine an Northern Rivers (3.39%).

· It is forecast that a total of 454K trays will be despatched this week nationally. Hass harvest figures forecast for the next two to three weeks thereafter are expected to range between 400K and 460K per week. The current four week average dispatch figure now sits at 460,833 trays. With these kinds of production figures we don’t expect the market to go up at all, it is more likely to weaken and there will be a struggle to clear the increased volume of particularly small fruit for the next couple of weeks.

It is with some sadness that our North Queensland Avocado season has almost come to an end, with next week likely to see our final harvest and packing. However, our SE Queensland grower partners are well underway with their 2023 harvest and the quality of early fruit from this region is looking good. They have had some rather cool mornings over the last couple of weeks and there is a rather significant rain event forecast for this coming weekend but this won’t dampen their spirits.

In terms of Avocado retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows - Aldi Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.49ea; Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.50ea, and Woolworths had Hass also selling at $1.50/ea. Loose GMAX were back in Woolworths stores visited this week, priced at $2.50ea - though a number of pieces were sited with body rots.

For this weeks sales pricing please see the info below….

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Displays from Fairfield, Indooroopilly and Mt Ommaney

Coles stores had Hass Avocados at $1.50ea.
Fruit packed 3rd to 8th July, so fruit age ranging 11 to 16 days.
1kg I’m Perfect at $5.50ea and 5 piece packs at $6.50/pack.
Overall good condition, some fruit with bruising but overall good colour and presentation.

Below: Aldi Displays from Fairfield, Indooroopilly and Mt Ommaney

Avolution and Simpson Hass @ $1.49 each.
5 piece packs priced at $5.99ea and 1kg packs at $4.99ea. GMAX 3pk at $5.99ea.

Below: Woolworths Displays from Moorooka, Indooroopilly and Mt Ommaney

Stores stocked Purpleskin, Simpson and Lava Valley Hass in counts 16-20, priced at $1.50ea. Greenskin GMAX back in stock this week, priced at $2.50ea.
Fruit packed 4th July to 11th July, so age ranging 8 days to 15 days.
5 piece prepacks at $6.50ea. 1kg prepacks priced at $6.00ea.

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

Week 28 saw the national harvest figure increase slightly to just under 389,000 cartons from 372,000 so there was little change in the retail landscape. Over the last week in the far north, early A.M. temperatures have ranged 13.7 - 20.1 C across all major growing regions, this is not to say we haven’t experienced cooler temps in some low lying areas across the north - whilst day time temperatures were warmer ranging 21.8 - 26.2 C. Rain has been more constant this week with an increase on last week with Mareeba and Walkamin receiving 7.8mm and 13.6mm respectively; whilst Innisfail and Tully received significantly more with 67.2 - 76.0mm across the week in each region.

Cavendish presented this week with relatively good bloom and there was less of a presence of rub marks and bruising. Seeing some dullness of bloom amongst smaller fruit on shelf, particularly kids packs.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas remained unchanged on last week and relatively uniform across the three chains as follows: Aldi’s banana ticket price at $3.99/kg; Woolies offered fruit at a competitive ticket price of $4.00-$4.50/kg; and Coles were offering fruit also competitively at $4.00/kg.

RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Fairfield, Indooroopilly and Mt Ommaney

Cavendish were priced at $3.99-4.00/kg and Kids packs were at $4.00ea.
The majority of fruit had good bloom. Some clusters green and with slight bruising.
Lady Fingers were priced at $7.90/kg, Red Tips at $5.50/kg.

Below: Aldi Fairfield, Indooroopilly and Mt Ommaney

Stores had Cavendish @ $3.99/kg- good bloom this week, an improvement on previous weeks. Some light brusing and skin marking observed.

Lady Fingers priced at $5.99/kg. This variety was slightly more bruised.

Below: Woolworths Moorooka, Indooroopilly and Mt Ommaney

Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $4.00/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $3.50.
Lady fingers were priced at $8.00/kg, Red tips were priced at $5.50/kg and Organic Clusters at $6.00/kg.