QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

🥑SUPPLY UPDATE

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

· Week 22, 2024 - The industry saw a 14.96% decrease on the previous week’s harvest with a total of 428,343 tray equivalents harvested and transported (approx 80,000 less tray equivalents) on Week 21, 2024 production. Of the overall total, approximately 124K units were bulks for prepacking and processing; 82K were exported; leaving a total of almost 222K tray equivalents for the domestic market. The national harvest included Hass variety supplying 388,612 tray equivalents along with 5,575 Shepard tray equivalents together with 34,156 trays (inc GMax) of assorted other varieties in this week’s reported figures.

Production across the country saw a new guard in the position of highest productions week with Central Queensland accounting for 49.50% of the total production volume this week, North Queensland accounting for a further 48.72%, then trickles from Sunshine Coast accounting for 0.76%, Southern Queensland with 0.58% and finally Central NSW for 0.32%.

· It is forecast that a total of some 486,000 tray equivalents will be despatched this week (Week 23) nationally. This figure can be broken down by variety with the Hass to contribute approximately 448,000 of this total whilst the Shepard variety expected to represent some 400 tray equivalents and some 37,000 tray equivalents of other varietals (inc GMax) of this total. The focus now is really upon the popular Hass varietal. Production in the next three week window is expected to range between 440 to 470K tray equivalents per week.

In terms of Avocado retail in the major supermarkets in Qld we saw shelf prices as follows - Aldi Hass this week with shelf tickets at $1.19 each; Coles Qld had Hass avocados ticketed at $1.50ea, and Woolworths with Purpleskin Hass at $1.50ea and GMAX avos (larger sizes 14/16/18) at $2.50ea. There was a prevalence of lenticel damage noted on the Hass avos on display this week.

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Displays from Mt Gravatt and Indooroopilly

Coles stores had Hass on display in size 20-25 at $1.30-1.50ea and GMAX at $2.50ea.
5 piece packs at $6.50ea and 1kg packs at $5.00ea.
Organic avos at $4.00ea.

Below: Aldi Displays from Mt Gravatt and Indooroopilly

The Strand and Purpleskin Hass @ $1.19 each all Ct23.
1kg Avocado nets on special at $4.69ea and 3 piece GMAX packs at $5.99ea.

Below: Woolworths Displays from Mt Gravatt, Indooroopilly and Metro Melbourne

Hass avos in Ct20-25 primarily from Purpleskins and Simpsons were retailing at $1.50ea. Greenskin GMAX avos on display this week for $2.50ea. Metro store in Melbourne had retail price of $2.00 ea for Hass.
Odd Bunch 1kg packs at $5.50ea and 5 piece packs at $5.00ea.

BANANA OVERVIEW

🍌SUPPLY UPDATE

We have an update on the industry transport figures, with harvest for week 21 at 396,767 cartons of cavendish and in week 22 there were 396,475 ctns transported around Australia. Both of these figures were a slight decrease on the previous fortnight (week 20) which saw a cut of 409,841 cartons. The weather patterns for the last week in the far north have seen early A.M. temperatures have ranged 13.8 - 21.7 C across all major growing regions and day time temperatures have remained warmer ranging 24.9 - 28.3 C. There has been minimal rainfall across the regions of Mareeba and Walkamin with falls of 0mm - 0.2mm; and a slight decrease in the level of rain falls across Innisfail and Tully regions of 12.6 - 21.6mm throughout the week compared with last week.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland for cavendish bananas has remained stable this week with pricing 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, however improved on recent weeks with the only defects being minor neck damage and some minor bronzing. Note i did have the opportunity to duck into a Woolies Metro store in Melbourne during Hort Connections and found bananas retailing at $5.00/kg in Flinders Street. 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 Mt Gravatt and Indooroopilly

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 Mt Gravatt and Indooroopilly

Stores had Cavendish @ $3.99/kg.

No Havana Bananas this week.

Below: Woolworths Mt Gravatt, Indooroopilly and Metro Melbourne

Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $4.00/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $3.50. Metro Melb had cavendish at $5.00/kg.
Lady fingers were priced at $5.90/kg, Red tips were back at $5.50/kg and Organic Clusters at $6.00/kg.