QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

🥑SUPPLY UPDATE

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

· Week 17, 2024 - The industry saw a massive 27.55% decrease on the previous week’s harvest with a total of 471,557 tray equivalents harvested and transported (approx 190,000 less tray equivalents) on Week 16, 2024 production. The national harvest included 272,599 Shepard tray equivalents along with Hass variety supplying 191,336 tray equivalents together with 7,622 trays of assorted other varieties in this week’s reported figures. Of the total 191,336 hass tray equivalents this week, approximately 60,000 of these were still coming from WA origin.

Production across the country has somewhat evened out with North QLD Shepard variety accounting for 51.07% of the total production volume this week, Central Queensland accounting for a further 36.09% (Shepard and hass), then Western Australia with supply accounting for 12.81% (primarily Hass) and other varietals from SQ with 0.03%.

· It is forecast that a total of some 454,000 tray equivalents will be despatched this week (Week 18) nationally. This figure can be broken down by variety with the Shepard variety expected to represent some 173,000 tray equivalents whilst Hass will contribute approximately 279,000 of this total. Shepard harvest figures are expected to be gradually declining in volume as their season is coming to an end by mid to late May, forecast for the next three weeks to be within a range of 170K down to 11K tray equivalents over the next three weeks.

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 99c each; Coles Qld had Shepard avocados ticketed at $1.00ea, and Woolworths with Greenskin Shepards also at $1.00ea. Coles also had Autumn avocados on display, competitively priced at $1.00ea also.

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Displays from Coorparoo, Carindale and Browns Plains

Coles stores had Shepards on display in size 25 at $1.00ea.
Stores also had Autumn Hass avocados priced at $1.00ea.
5 piece packs at $5.50ea and 1kg packs at $5.00ea.

Below: Aldi Displays from Coorparoo, Carindale and Browns Plains

Shepards @ 99c each all Ct23. Fruit with a pack date of 22nd April meaning fruit age 9 days. Predominantly Greenskins fruit, good quality and colour this week.
1kg Avocado nets on special at $3.99ea (Aldi Super Savers) and 5 piece packs priced at $4.99ea.

Below: Woolworths Displays from Coorparoo, Carindale and Browns Plains

Shepard avos in Ct20-25 primarily from Greenskins were retailing at $1.00ea.
Odd Bunch 1kg packs at $4.00ea and 5 piece packs at $5.00ea - both contained shepards. Organic packs $6.50ea.

BANANA OVERVIEW

🍌SUPPLY UPDATE

The industry transport figures have been a little late in their release, with the figures for what was transported Week 16 only being released earlier this week - a total of some 419,000 ctns which meant an increase of 21,000 cartons on week 15 production. Week 17 industry harvest was expected to fall within a range of 390,000 to 410,000 cartons but yet to be confirmed. What we can confirm is the weather patterns for the last week in the far north, early A.M. temperatures have ranged 16.1 - 22.3 C across all major growing regions and day time temperatures have remained warmer ranging 25.0 - 29.0 C. There has been a slight decrease in terms of rainfall across the regions of Mareeba and Walkamin with falls of 1.6 - 9.6mm; whilst a slight increase in the level of rain falls across Innisfail and Tully regions of 67.4mm - 69.0mm throughout the week. Similar weather patterns have been in existence now for several months.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland for cavendish bananas this week was 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 $4.00-4.50/kg in the stores visited. Banana quality in stores still varied with the main defects being still minor neck damage, sooty/blotchy mould and minor skin marking which remains indicative of the growing conditions in recent months.

RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Coorparoo, Carindale and Browns Plains

Cavendish were priced at $4.00-4.50/kg and Kids packs were at $4.00ea.
Lady Fingers were priced at $5.90/kg, Red Tips at $5.50/kg. Organic at $6.00/kg.
Variety of growers supplying this store.

Below: Aldi Coorparoo, Carindale and Browns Plains

Stores had Cavendish @ $3.99/kg.

Havana Bananas @ $4.99/kg this week - all needed restocking.

Below: Woolworths Coorparoo, Carindale and Browns Plains

Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $4.00/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50.
Lady fingers were priced at $5.90/kg, Red tips were back at $5.50/kg and Organic Clusters at $6.00/kg.