QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

🥑SUPPLY UPDATE

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

· Week 19, 2024 - The industry saw a 26.12% decrease on the previous week’s harvest with a total of 347,769 tray equivalents harvested and transported (approx 130,000 less tray equivalents) on Week 18, 2024 production. The national harvest saw the Hass variety leading production supplying 297,447 tray equivalents; with just 31,052 Shepard tray equivalents along with 19,270 trays of assorted other varieties in this week’s reported figures.

Production across the country in the last week has North QLD production accounting for 58.90% of the total volume this week, Central Queensland accounting for a further 40.55% (Shepard and Hass), and Southern Queensland entering the market slowly with supply accounting for 0.49%.

· It is forecast that a total of some 436,000 tray equivalents will be despatched this week (Week 20) nationally. This figure can be broken down by variety with the Hass variety expected to represent some 380,000 tray equivalents whilst Shepard will contribute approximately 22,000 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 7K down to zero tray equivalents by the first week of June.

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 89c each; Coles Qld had Shepard avocados ticketed at $1.30 ea, and Woolworths with Greenskin Shepards also at $1.20ea.

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Displays from Sunnybank Hills, Calamvale and Ipswich

Coles stores had a mix of Hass (mainly) and a few Shepards on display in size 20-23-25 at $1.30ea.
5 piece packs at $6.00ea and 1kg packs at $5.50ea.

Below: Aldi Displays from Sunnybank Hills, Drewvale and Ipswich

Shepards @ 89c each all Ct23 (interestingly their weekly catalogue had them featured at $0.99c ea). Predominantly Greenskins fruit, good quality and colour this week.
1kg Avocado nets on special at $3.99ea and 5 piece packs priced at $4.99ea.

Below: Woolworths Displays from Sunnybank Hills, Calamvale and Ipswich

Shepard avos in Ct20-25 primarily from Greenskins were retailing at $1.20ea.
Odd Bunch 1kg packs at $5.00ea and 5 piece packs at $5.50ea - both contained shepards. Multiple prepacks contained significantly damaged fruit.

BANANA OVERVIEW

🍌SUPPLY UPDATE

The industry transport figures have been a little late in their release, we now have Week 19 figures which are as follows: 343,082 cartons were sent out, approximately 37,000 less than week 18. The weather patterns for the last week in the far north have finally seen temperatures starting to cool off with early A.M. temperatures have ranged 16.6 - 22.2 C across all major growing regions and day time temperatures have remained warmer ranging 23.5 - 27.9 C. There has been a slight decrease in terms of rainfall across the regions of Mareeba and Walkamin with falls of 0.4 - 4.0mm; whilst another slight increase in the level of rain falls across Innisfail and Tully regions of 79.8mm - 91.0mm 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/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. Stores continue to have signage with regards to these defects being indicative of the growing conditions across the country.

RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Sunnybank Hills, Calamvale and Ipswich

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 $6.00/kg.

Below: Aldi Sunnybank Hills, Drewvale and Ipswich

Stores had Cavendish @ $3.99/kg.

Havana Bananas @ $4.99/kg this week.

Below: Woolworths Sunnybank Hills, Calamvale and Ipswich

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.