QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

🥑SUPPLY UPDATE

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

· Week 10, 2024 - The industry saw a 6.24% increase on the previous week’s harvest with a total of 469,976 tray equivalents harvested and transported (approx 29,000 more tray equivalents) on Week 9, 2024 production. The national harvest included 309,928 Shepard tray equivalents along with WA Hass variety supplying 159,719 tray equivalents together with 329 trays of assorted other varieties in this week’s reported figures. The total despatch this week of 469,976 tray equivalents saw approximately 103K in either bulk format/processing; almost 57K were exported which left just shy of 310K tray equivalents for the domestic market.

North QLD has well and truly taken lead production with the Shepard variety accounting for 56.52% of the total production volume this week, then Western Australia with Hass avocado supply accounting for 33.25%, a few shepards also coming from Central QLD accounting for a further 9.37%, and other varietals from Central NSW accounting for 0.59% and Tristate with 0.27%.

· It is forecast that a total of some 496,000 tray equivalents will be despatched this week (Week 11) nationally. This figure can be broken down by variety with the Shepard variety expected to represent some 326,000 tray equivalents whilst Hass will contribute approximately 144,000 of this total. Shepard harvest figures are expected to be increasing within a range of 326K to 372K over the next three weeks, whilst Hass harvest figures are forecast to be steadily declining from 144K this week down to 100K over the next three weeks. With the volume of hass still on the market, there have been retailers stocking both hass and shepard, and some who elect to only stock one or the other. This has meant a softening of the market especially in relation to Shepard pricing, however this appears to be changing. In the next week, if today is any indication, the tray pricing on premium which has been in the vicinity of $16-$20 this week in Brisbane should lift up to $18-$22 per tray in Brisbane and stronger in the southern markets.

In terms of Avocado retail in the major supermarkets in Qld we saw shelf prices as follows - Aldi Shepards this week with shelf tickets at $1.49 each; Coles Qld had Shepard avocados ticketed at $1.50ea, and Woolworths were retailing dual lines also: WA Hass selling at $1.70ea and Greenskin Shepards at $1.50ea - albeit one anomaly of $1.00ea on Shepards in one store visited believed to be a markdown as the quality of the Greenskin Shepards on display was very ordinary.

a number of independents are still primarily selling hass, this example found this week, larger sized fruit 3 for $7.00.

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Displays from Carindale, Indooroopilly and Garden City

Coles stores had primarily Shepards on display in sizes 20-25 at $1.50ea. Quality generally was goo across the board, a little lenticel noted and the odd body rot.
5 piece packs at $6.00ea and 1kg packs at $6.00ea.

Below: Aldi Displays from Carindale, Indooroopilly and Garden City

Shepards @ $1.49 each all Ct23/25. Some stores with no loose stock on display at all. All supplied by Greenskins - lenticel and rot present in some displays. Fruit with pack dates of 26th to 28th February meaning fruit age ranging 14 to 16 days.
1kg Avocado nets at $5.49ea. Some breakdown within the packs.
5 piece packs priced at $5.49ea.

Below: Woolworths Displays from Carindale, Indooroopilly and Garden City

Stores stocked Count 18-20 Hass were priced at $1.70ea. Whilst the Shepard avos in Ct23/25 from Greenskins were retailing at $1.50ea in most stores, one store had them at $1.00ea.
Odd Bunch 1kg packs at $6.00ea and 5 piece packs at $6.50ea - both contained shepards.

BANANA OVERVIEW

🍌SUPPLY UPDATE

Last week saw a cut of 395k cartons for the total number of cartons of Cavendish harvested and transported for Week 10 which was a slight increase on Week 9’s harvest of some 14k cartons. Over the last week in the far north, early A.M. temperatures have ranged 19.9 - 24.5 C across all major growing regions and day time temperatures have remained warmer ranging 27.1 - 30.9 C. There has been an increase in terms of rainfall in some regions this week with 27.0 - 43.7mm across Mareeba and Walkamin; and falls across Innisfail and Tully regions with 234.2mm - 329.0mm throughout the week all of which will continue to impact fruit quality and shelf life.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland for cavendish bananas this week were as follows: Aldi’s banana ticket price at $3.99/kg; Woolies offered fruit at a ticket price of $4.00/kg; and Coles were offering fruit at $4.00/kg in the stores visited. Banana quality in stores varied, most displays had good bloom, impact of weather is being seen ie some heat stress and a presence of sooty mould on a few lines.

RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Carindale, Indooroopilly and Garden City

Cavendish were priced at $4.00/kg and Kids packs were at $4.00ea.
Lady Fingers were priced at $5.90/kg, Red Tips at $5.50/kg. Organic at $6.00ea.
Generally good bloom, some odd clusters found to be dull.

Below: Aldi Carindale, Indooroopilly and Garden City

Stores had Cavendish @ $3.99/kg - generally good bloom, odd dull cluster.

Lady Fingers priced at $4.99/kg - low stock or no stock in stores this week.

Below: Woolworths Carindale, Indooroopilly and Garden City

Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $4.00/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50.
Lady fingers were on special priced at $8.00/kg - fruit generally presented cleanly, Red tips were priced at $5.50/kg and Organic Clusters at $6.00/kg.