QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

🥑SUPPLY UPDATE

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

· Week 23, 2024 - The industry saw a 12.06% increase on the previous week’s harvest with a total of 487,107 tray equivalents harvested and transported (approx 60,000 more tray equivalents) on Week 22, 2024 production.The national harvest included Hass variety supplying 466,830 tray equivalents along with 310 Shepard tray equivalents together with 19,967 trays (inc GMax) of assorted other varieties in this week’s reported figures. Whilst there was an increase of some 12% in production this week, it is important to look at how this is broken up with 131K tray equivalents being either bulks for prepacking or processing fruit; some 77K tray equivalents were exported which leaves some 278K tray equivalents for the domestic market.

Production across the country saw a North Queensland resume the lead in production accounting for 54.94% of the total volume, Central Queensland accounting for a further 43.95%, then trickles from Southern Queensland accounting for 0.41%, Sunshine Coast with 0.31% and finally Central NSW for 0.28%.

· It is forecast that a total of some 445,000 tray equivalents will be despatched this week (Week 24) nationally. This figure can be broken down by variety with the Hass to contribute approximately 406,000 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 continues to be upon the popular Hass varietal. Production in the next three week window is expected to range between 407 to 430K tray equivalents per week - keeping in mind that a portion of the stated volumes will be exported and a portion will be in a bulk format. Whilst volumes have been fairly steady in recent weeks, there are signs of supplies starting to tighten somewhat and we are expecting the premium tray value to lift by $1-$2 next week. There are already some of the North Qld growers who are nearing the end of their crops perhaps a little earlier than first thought and Central Qld likewise are finding that they do not expect to run later than late July this year with their harvests.

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 $1.49 each; Coles Qld had Hass avocados ticketed at $1.50ea, and Woolworths with Purpleskin and Simpson Hass at $1.50-1.70ea and GMAX avos (larger sizes 14/16/18) at $2.50ea.

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Displays from Garden City, Indooroopilly and Carindale

Coles stores had Hass on display in size 20-25 at $1.50ea and GMAX at $2.50ea.
5 piece packs at $6.50ea and 1kg packs at $4.90ea.
Organic avos at $4.00ea.

Below: Aldi Displays from Garden City, Indooroopilly and Carindale

The Avolution Hass @ $1.49 each all Ct23.
1kg Avocado nets on special at $3.99ea and 3 piece GMAX packs at $5.99ea. 5 piece packs at $5.19ea.

Below: Woolworths Displays from Garden City, Indooroopilly and Carindale

Hass avos in Ct20-25 primarily from Purpleskins and Simpsons were retailing at $1.50-1.70ea. Greenskin GMAX avos on display this week for $2.50ea.
Odd Bunch 1kg packs at $5.50ea and 5 piece packs at $6.00ea.

BANANA OVERVIEW

🍌SUPPLY UPDATE

Industry transport figures are as follows: the harvest for week 23 at 406,385 ctns transported around Australia which was an increase of almost 10,000 cartons on the previous week. The weather patterns for the last week in the far north have seen early A.M. temperatures dropping with a range of 8.5 - 17.0 C across all major growing regions and day time temperatures have remained warmer ranging 23.0 - 27.3 C. With temperatures starting to dip below 10C we will start to see the occurrence of some underpeel discolouration, this will only be mild at this stage but if we experience several repeated cold days in a row, this is when the damage becomes heightened. There has been minimal rainfall across most of the North Qld banana growing regions this week with Mareeba and Walkamin nil falls and only of 0.4 to 1.0mms across Innisfail and Tully regions.

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, some light rub marking and some minor bronzing.

RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Garden City, Indooroopilly and Carindale

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 Garden City, Indooroopilly and Carindale

Stores had Cavendish @ $3.99/kg.

Havana Bananas back in some stores this week at $4.99/kg.

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Indooroopilly and Carindale

Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $4.00/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $3.50-4.00. 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.