2021-Week 49

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

.The figures released this week saw Western Australia maintain the lead in production contributing 74% of the total national harvest of some 550,153 trays last week; followed by New Zealand at 22%; Tristates at 2.8%; Central NSW with 4%. The remaining 1.2% came from Tamborine/Northern Rivers and Central NSW. This production figure represents a very slight increase of some 57,000 additional trays on the week prior and was 16% higher than what was forecast for the week. 

All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $0.99- $1.40 per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $0.99-$2.00/piece depending upon quality/size. Within the markets things have remained relatively unchanged, premium trays of WA hass are selling in the range of $15 -$20/tray depending upon size and quality of each line; whereas premium NZ fruit is fetching $12-$15 (anything with colour or out-of-date spec is selling for $6-$10).  Pricing for class one fruit has remained stable (main sales) is ranging $6 -$14 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $5 to $14 (2nds) --$14-$28/ctn for premium bulks depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 510,000 trays and then the forecast is for figures ranging 505,000 trays then 460,000 and 420,000 per week through until the start of the New Year. (I can’t quite believe we will be starting 2022 in a matter of a few weeks) The last four week period has seen an average national dispatch of 522,282 trays per week.

You will note that WA have contributed a larger percentage of the national volume last week (74%) which equates to approximately 407,113 trays which is the biggest week of the WA season to date. The weather in the south west corner of WA has finally started to warm up a little with early morning minimum temps ranging 9.6 to 13.4C and daytime maximum temps of 21.6 to 35.2C. The Manjimup region was free of rain last week. The available meteorological data for the Pemberton region shows whilst early mornings are still quite cool with temps of 7.8-10C; the days are warm with averages of 22-34.4C. This Western Australian region also had dry weather across the week. Whilst the weather has been on our side, availability of staff due to ongoing Covid issues has been limiting our ability to harvest - we are trying our best to ensure the programmed orders are being filled.

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing and pricing in all three major supermarkets varied a little depending upon store location; sizing stocked and banner. The majority of stores this week were stocking NZ stock, though 1 of the 3 Woolworths stores visited had WA hass on offer. Fruit age in all stores was found to be ranging 14 to 29 days.

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had increased their ticket price for Hass to $0.99ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.00 ea; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.20ea - $1.40ea for larger sized fruit. The fruit on shelves varied in condition with a range of 30-70% coloured on offer and ripeness ranging from soft; to yielding to very firm.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

Supermarket pricing has remained constant with no further price increasing in the foreseeable future.

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Garden City, Woolongabba and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Coles stores had Skylark Hass avocados priced at $1.00ea or $1.50ea/3 for $4.00. Primarily all NZ stock -Fruit positioned on ends as well as a table top display aligning entry or just inside the store entry.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.50-$4.90 ea - these too were filled with fruit of NZ origin.

Below: Aldi Garden City and Woolongabba Displays

  • NZ Hass loose count 23/25 @ 99c each everywhere and 6 piece Hass nets filled with NZ fruit at $4.49

  • All fruit was well stocked and with loose having strong skin colour with a percentage being quite soft. Fruit age 29 days.

  • Evidence of some bruising; skin scarring and light sun blemish on some pieces.

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Buranda and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Stores had Hass avocados at $1.40 each - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines but a good mix of maturity on offer. A mix of NZ and Australian grown fruit age ranged 20-28 days.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.00/ pack

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

As expected over the past week the morning temperatures have continued to be warm up in North Qld with all regions early a.m. temps falling within a range of 18.4 to 23.6C; whilst day time temperatures have been on the rise in the last week ranging 31.1 to 34.8C. In terms of rainfall up to last Wednesday all major North Qld growing regions were relatively dry with low falls of 0.2 to 2.6mm experience in some areas. Cavendish banana bunch age remains at 15- 16 weeks on our farm currently, with fruit quality found to be good overall in the packshed. With the warm days the rate of fruit growth is certainly quickening and it is important for all farms to stay on top of girth measurements to ensure overall fruit length and girth is not exceeding specification.

The national cut last week was 496,249 cartons with another week of solid production representing an increase of 4406 ctns on the previous week. The forecast for this week is expected to be in a range of 490-510,000 cartons. Independent retailers were selling bananas at $1.99 to $2.49/kg again this week. The markets all have plentiful supplies of cavendish with fruit selling at $4-$15 per carton, dependent upon quality and quantity each agent has.

Cavendish in general this week presented well. Fruit was presenting quite cleanly though there was a presence of some quite long fingers, and low level minor dry scar; small rub marks; light bat/bird marking and sap staining seen. Colour was generally good with more plentiful supplies of fruit ready to eat.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied this week amongst the major supermarkets with Aldi’s ticket price at $2.99/kg; whilst Coles offered fruit at $3.00 to $3.50/kg depending upon store location and Woolies offered fruit at $3.00/kg.















RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Garden City, Woolongabba and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $3.00-$3.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters also $3.00-$3.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with minor skin marking and green colouring.

  • Lady Fingers were priced at $7.90/kg and Red Tips at $4.90-$5.50/kg.

Below: Aldi Garden City and Woolongabba Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $2.99/kg.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $5.99/kg - a few clusters found with bronzing.

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Buranda and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $3.00-$3.50/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $3.00-$3.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - some green fruit and minor bat/bird marking.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.90/kg - rub and maturity bronzing found

  • Red tips were priced at $4.50/kg and Organic variety at $5.50/kg

2021-Week 47

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw Western Australia maintain the lead in production contributing 71% of the total national harvest of some 492,802 trays last week; followed by New Zealand at 18%; Tristates at 4%; Central NSW with 4%. The remaining 3% came from Tamborine/Northern Rivers and South Qld. This production figure represents an increase of 3% (just over 14,000 additional trays) on the week prior and was 13% higher than what was forecast for the week. 

All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $1.00- $1.19 per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $0.99-$2.00/piece depending upon quality/size. Within the markets things have remained relatively unchanged, premium trays of WA hass are selling in the range of $15 -$20/tray (very good quality getting up to $22) depending upon size and quality of each line; whereas premium NZ fruit is fetching $12-$15 (anything with colour or out-of-date spec is selling for $6-$10).  Pricing for class one fruit has remained stable (main sales) is ranging $6 -$14 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $6 to $14 (2nds) --$14-$28/ctn for premium bulks depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The outlook for the next month to two months is more of the same - it is unlikely that current pricing and market volumes will change very much at all, unless something drastic occurs. What does this mean for the flow on 2022 Shepard season, well for a start we don’t believe there will be the early season high prices that some have come to expect - there may be an uplift with the start of the fresh season, but it will be short-lived and not in the $45-$60/tray range as it has in previous seasons. The other major change that has been eluded to, is a definitive start date and finish date for each vendors supply to the supermarkets, ie it might only be an 8 week window whereby we have to hit the figures we forecast on the head each week if we are wanting sales to grow. For this reason, I am reaching out to you to provide us with your own forecasts of what you believe you will harvest this upcoming Shepard season, with proposed start date of late Feb through to end of April ?? If possible to gauge main size at this stage; it would be great to know this as well. Paul and myself will be up in the growing region middle of next week (1st and 2nd December), so we will be calling in to discuss this and review the 2021 season with each of you - please let me know if one date suits you better and we will try to accommodate.

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 430,000 trays and then the forecast is for figures ranging 460-497,000 trays per week through until Christmas. The last four week period has seen an average national dispatch of 481,863 trays per week.

You will note that WA have contributed a larger percentage of the national volume last week (71%) which equates to approximately 349,889 trays which was 10K fewer trays than the week prior - again weather has played a part with a few more light to moderate showers throughout the past week. The weather in the south west corner of WA has continued to be cool though with early morning minimum temps ranging 6.3 to 13.7C and daytime maximum temps of 17.2 to 29.3C. The Manjimup region experienced a light 13.6mm of rain. The available meteorological data for the Pemberton region shows that it has been experiencing cool mornings with lows of 7.1-14.2C and warmer daytime averages of 19.1-25.1C; they too have had a drier week with only a fall of 16mm cumulatively across the week. Despite these figures not sounding much by way of North Qld comparison, the lay of the land and soil types means this volume does tend to make it wet underfoot and therefore more different for machinery etc.

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing and pricing in all three major supermarkets varied a little depending upon store location; sizing stocked and banner. The majority of stores this week were stocking NZ stock, though 1 of the 3 Woolworths stores visited had WA hass on offer. Fruit age in all stores was found to be ranging 20 to 28 days.

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had increased their ticket price for Hass to $1.19ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.00 ea; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.00ea. The fruit on shelves varied in condition with a range of 40-95% coloured on offer and ripeness ranging from soft; to yielding to very firm.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

Supermarket pricing has remained constant with no further price increasing in the foreseeable future.

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Carindale, Mt Gravatt and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Coles stores had Skylark Hass avocados priced at $1.00ea. Primarily all NZ stock - fruit with packed dates of 28th October - 4th November therefore fruit age ranged 20 to 29 days. Fruit positioned on ends as well as a table top display aligning entry or just inside the store entry.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.90 ea - these too were filled with fruit of NZ origin.

Below: Aldi Carindale and Mt Gravatt Displays

  • NZ Hass loose count 23/25 @ $1.19 each everywhere and 6 piece Hass nets filled with NZ fruit at $4.99

  • All fruit was well stocked and with loose having strong skin colour with a percentage being quite soft. Fruit age 29 days.

  • Evidence of some bruising; skin scarring and light sun blemish on some pieces.

Below: Woolworths Carindale, Mt Gravatt and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Stores had Hass avocados at $1.00 each - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines but a good mix of maturity on offer. A mix of NZ and Australian grown fruit with packed on dates ranging 28th October- 4th November therefore fruit age ranged 20-28 days.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.50/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.50ea

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

As expected over the past week the morning temperatures have continued to be warm up in North Qld with all regions early a.m. temps falling within a range of 16.4 to 23.9C; whilst day time temperatures have been on the rise in the last week ranging 29.3 to 35.7C. In terms of rainfall up to last Saturday both Innisfail and Tully had between 25 and 39mm respectively, since Saturday however it has been dry in these two regions. Walkamin and Mareeba have only experienced very light, isolated showers. Cavendish banana bunch age remains at 16 weeks on our farm currently, with fruit quality found to be good overall in the packshed. With the warm days the rate of fruit growth is certainly quickening and it is important for all farms to stay on top of girth measurements to ensure overall fruit length and girth is not exceeding specification. I am pleased to report that in relation to our ladyfingers the extra measures implemented on farm are starting to pay dividend. In an effort to reduce bronzing we are continuing to cut fruit a little thinner and we are continuing to cut bunches with reduced hang time - this will be an ongoing practise as we make our way around the farm and throughout the summer to assist in reducing maturity bronzing. As explained last week, to assist with reducing the sap staining as increased sap flow rates are synonymous with the warmer months of the year., we have made alterations to the packing line so that the hands are clustered at the beginning of the line to allow fruit more time in the trough to assist in stemming the sap flow and we have introduced tissue paper on the crowns and an additional sheet of paper in the carton to absorb any additional sap that may continue to flow to try and keep the fruit appearance clean - in the last fortnight arrival quality assessments are proving these measures successful and there has been less sap issues on arrival.

The national cut last week was again well in excess of 500K, with another week of solid production with a total of 532,936 cartons representing an increase of 51,186 ctns on the previous week. The forecast for this week is expected to be in a range of 510-530,000 cartons. Independent retailers were selling bananas at $1.99 to $2.49/kg again this week. The markets all have plentiful supplies of cavendish with fruit selling at $4-$14 per carton, dependent upon quality and quantity each agent has.

Cavendish in general this week presented well. Fruit was presenting quite cleanly though there was a percentage of oversize both in terms of girth and length found on all supermarket shelves. Low level minor dry scar; small rub marks; light bat/bird marking and sap staining were seen. Colour was generally good with more plentiful supplies of fruit ready to eat and brighter bloom than in recent times.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied this week amongst the major supermarkets with Aldi’s ticket price at $2.99/kg; whilst Coles offered fruit at $2.50 to $3.50/kg depending upon store location and Woolies offered fruit at $3.00 to 3.50/kg varying with store location.










RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Carindale, Mt Gravatt and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $2.50-$3.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters also $2.50-$3.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with minor skin marking, light bat/bird marking and rub marking.

  • Lady Fingers were priced at $7.90/kg and Red Tips at $3.90/kg.

Below: Aldi Carindale and Mt Gravatt Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $2.99/kg.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $5.99/kg - a few clusters found with bronzing.

Below: Woolworths Carindale, Mt Gravatt and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $2.50/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage; minor bat/bird marking; major bruising (isolated) and rub marking observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $6.90/kg - rub and maturity bronzing found

  • Red tips were priced at $4.50/kg

2021-Week 46

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw Western Australia maintain the lead in production contributing 74% of the total national harvest of some 478,703 trays last week; followed by New Zealand at 14%; Tri-states at 4%; Central NSW with 4%. The remaining 3% came from Tamborine/Northern Rivers and South Qld. This production figure represents an increase of 2% (just over 9,600 additional trays) on the week prior and was 7% higher than what was forecast for the week. 

All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $1.19- $1.50 per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $0.89-$2.00/piece depending upon quality/size. Within the markets things have remained relatively unchanged, premium trays of WA hass are selling in the range of $15 -$20/tray (very good quality getting up to $22) depending upon size and quality of each line; whereas premium NZ fruit is fetching $12-$15 (anything with colour or out-of-date spec is selling for $6-$10).  Pricing for class one fruit has remained stable (main sales) is ranging $6 -$14 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $6 to $14 (2nds) --$14-$28/ctn for premium bulks depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 435,000 trays and then the forecast is for figures ranging 440-460,000 trays per week through until the middle of December. The last four week period has seen an average national dispatch of 453,694 trays per week. If the targets projected by the industry are to be met a weekly average dispatch of 510,000 trays needs to be met from now through until the end of February 2022.

You will note that WA have contributed a larger percentage of the national volume last week (74%) which equates to approximately 354,240 trays which has been their biggest week thus far in the 2021 season - again weather has been on their side, though there has been a few light showers over the last day or two. The weather in the south west corner of WA has continued to be cool though the past week with early morning minimum temps ranging 6.1 to 13C and daytime maximum temps of 18.6 to 28C. The Manjimup region experienced a light 0.6mm of rain over the last two days. The available meteorological data for the Pemberton region shows that it has been experiencing cool mornings with lows of 7.2-14.2C and warmer daytime averages of 18.6-27.6C; they too have had a drier week with only a fall of 2.2mm yesterday.

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing and pricing in all three major supermarkets varied a little depending upon store location; sizing stocked and banner. The majority of stores this week were stocking NZ stock, though 2 of the 3 Woolworths stores visited had WA hass on offer. Fruit age in all stores was found to be ranging 22 to 29 days.

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had increased their ticket price for Hass to $1.19ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.50 ea or a multibuy offer of 3 for $4.00; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.00-$1.20ea. The fruit on shelves varied in condition with a range of 40-85% coloured on offer and ripeness ranging from very soft; to yielding to very firm.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

Supermarket pricing has remained constant with no further price increasing in the foreseeable future.

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Garden City, Coomera and Helensvale Displays

  • Coles stores had Skylark Hass avocados priced at $1.50ea or multibuy offer 3 for $4. Primarily all NZ stock - fruit with packed dates of 12th to 16th October therefore fruit age ranged 25 to 29 days. Fruit positioned on ends as well as a table top display aligning entry or just inside the store entry.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.90 ea - these too were filled with fruit of NZ origin.

Below: Aldi Garden City and Helensvale Displays

  • NZ Hass loose count 23/25 @ $1.19 each everywhere and 6 piece Hass nets filled with NZ fruit at $4.99

  • All fruit was well stocked and with loose having strong skin colour with a percentage being quite soft. Fruit age 29 days.

  • Evidence of some bruising; skin scarring and light sun blemish on some pieces.

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Coomera and Helensvale Displays

  • Stores had Hass avocados at $1.20 each - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines but a good mix of maturity on offer. A mix of NZ and Australian grown fruit with packed on dates ranging 18-19th October therefore fruit age ranged 22-23 days.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.50/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.50ea

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

As expected over the past week the morning temperatures have continued to be warm up in North Qld with all regions early a.m. temps falling within a range of 19.2 to 25C; whilst day time temperatures have been on the rise in the last week ranging 27.2 to 36.3C. In terms of rainfall this week most major regions in the far north have been remained relatively dry until yesterday with falls of 2.2 to 36mm on Thursday. Cavendish banana bunch age remains at 16 weeks on our farm currently, with fruit quality found to be good overall in the packshed. Our ladyfingers have been experiencing a degree of bronzing in recent weeks and sap staining. Increased sap flow rates are synonymous with the warmer months of the year. In an effort to reduce bronzing we are cutting fruit a little thinner and from this week cutting fruit with reduced hang time - this will be continuing practise as we make our way around the farm and throughout the summer to assist in reducing maturity bronzing. As explained last week, to assist with reducing the sap staining, we have made alterations to the packing line so that the hands are clustered at the beginning of the line to allow fruit more time in the trough to assist in stemming the sap flow and we have introduced tissue paper on the crowns and an additional sheet of paper in the carton to absorb any additional sap to try and keep the fruit appearance clean - in the last week we are already seeing benefits in relation to this issue.

The national cut last week whilst finally back under the 500K’s, on top of recent weeks it was yet another week of solid production with 481,750 cartons representing a decrease of 60,105 ctns on the week prior. The forecast for this week to be in a range of 475-490,000 cartons. Independent retailers were selling bananas at $1.99 to $2.49/kg this week.

Cavendish in general this week presented well. Overall less marking which is pleasing with findings of minor dry scar; small rub marks; light bat/bird marking still being seen. Colour was generally good with more plentiful supplies of fruit ready to eat and brighter bloom than in recent times.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied this week amongst the major supermarkets with Aldi’s ticket price at $2.99/kg; whilst Coles offered fruit at $2.50-$3.50/kg and Woolies offered fruit at $2.50/kg in the centres visited.









RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Garden City, Coomera and Helensvale Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $2.50-$3.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters also $2.50-$3.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with minor skin marking, light bat/bird marking and rub marking.

  • Lady Fingers were priced at $7.90/kg and Red Tips at $3.90/kg.

Below: Aldi Garden City and Helensvale Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $2.99/kg. The majority of the display at all locations contained fruit that was semi to backward in colour.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $5.99/kg - a few clusters found with bronzing.

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Coomera and Helensvale Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $2.50/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage; minor bat/bird marking; major bruising (isolated) and rub marking observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $6.90/kg - rub and maturity bronzing found

  • Red tips were priced at $4.50/kg

2021-Week 45

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw Western Australia maintain the lead in production contributing 61% of the total national harvest of some 469,066 trays last week; followed by New Zealand at 22%; Tristates at 5.5%; Central NSW with 5%;  and South Qld contributing 5%. The remaining 1.5% came from Tamborine/Northern Rivers. This production figure represents an increase of 19% (just over 73,000 additional trays) on the week prior and was 5% higher than what was forecast for the week. 

All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $1.00- $1.50 per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $0.49-$2.00/piece depending upon quality/size. Within the markets things have remained relatively unchanged, premium trays of WA hass are selling in the range of $15 -$20/tray (very good quality getting up to $22) depending upon size and quality of each line; whereas premium NZ fruit is fetching $12-$15 (anything with colour or out-of-date spec is selling for $6-$10).  Pricing for class one fruit has remained stable (main sales) is ranging $6 -$14 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $6 to $14 (2nds) --$14-$28/ctn for premium bulks depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 446,000 trays and then the forecast is for figures ranging 435-460,000 trays per week through until the end of November. The last four week period has seen an average national dispatch of 451,675 trays per week. If the targets projected by the industry are to be met a weekly average dispatch of 510,000 trays needs to be met from now through until the end of February 2022.

You will note that WA have contributed 61% of the national volume last week which equates to approximately 286,130 trays which is more than last week in part due to the weather being a little more friendly giving growers a couple of extra days to pick and pack. The weather in the south west corner of WA has continued to be cool though the past week but it has been drier with only a couple of isolated showers across the week, whilst early morning minimum temps ranging 4.5 to 9.3C and daytime maximum temps of 14.4 to 22.4C. The Manjimup region experienced 2.8mm of rain last Sunday up until Wednesday just gone. The available meteorological data for the Pemberton region shows that it has been cool with lows of 5-10.2C and daytime averages of 18.7-21.1C; they too have had less rain in the last week with a fall of 5.4mm on Monday and dry since. Parts of the orchards are still drying out underfoot which continues to hamper the picking process and limits vehicle access but at least things seem to be on the improve for now. Some of the WA growers are struggling to find homes for their seconds which would normally go to foodservice businesses but due to the volumes being produced and status of current markets; this fruit is going to waste according to this story released by the ABC:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-07/wa-avocados-dumped/100598768?utm_source=abc_news_web&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_web

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing and pricing in all three major supermarkets varied a little depending upon store location; sizing stocked and banner. The majority of stores this week were stocking NZ stock, though 2 of the 3 Woolworths stores visited had WA hass on offer. Fruit age in all stores was found to be ranging 22 to 29 days.

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had increased their ticket price for Hass to $1.19ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.00 ea; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.00-$1.20ea. The fruit on shelves varied in condition with a range of 20-100% coloured on offer and ripeness ranging from very soft; to yielding to very firm.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets provide an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $4.99ea ; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $4.90 ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $4.50 and where stocked the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $4.00/bag.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

Supermarket pricing has remained constant with no further price increasing in the foreseeable future.

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Toowoomba, Springwood and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • Coles stores had Skylark Hass avocados priced at $1.00ea. Primarily all NZ stock - fruit with packed dates of 12th to 16th October therefore fruit age ranged 25 to 29 days. Fruit positioned on ends as well as a table top display aligning entry or just inside the store entry.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.90 ea - these too were filled with fruit of NZ origin.

  • Loose organic hass ranged in some stores at $4.00ea.

Below: Aldi Toowoomba, Springwood and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • NZ Hass loose count 23/25 @ $1.19 each everywhere and 6 piece Hass nets filled with NZ fruit at $4.99

  • All fruit was well stocked and with loose having strong skin colour with a percentage being quite soft. Fruit age 29 days.

  • Evidence of some bruising; skin scarring and light sun blemish on some pieces.

Below: Woolworths Toowoomba, Springwood and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • Stores had Hass avocados at $1.00 each - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines but a good mix of maturity on offer. A mix of NZ and Australian grown fruit with packed on dates ranging 18-19th October therefore fruit age ranged 22-23 days.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.50/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $4.00ea

  • Large loose organic Hass selling at $3.50 ea. Fruit was very hard.

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

As expected over the past week the morning temperatures have continued to be warm up in North Qld with all regions early a.m. temps falling within a range of 17.7 to 24C; whilst day time temperatures have been marginally milder than last week ranging 27 to 33.1C. In terms of rainfall this week most major regions in the far north have been relatively dry with light falls of 0.2 to 2.4mm. Innisfail has experienced a little more rain with a total fall of 13mm across the week. Cavendish banana bunch age has come back to 16 weeks on our farm currently, with fruit quality found to be good overall in the packshed. Our ladyfingers have been experiencing a degree of bronzing in recent weeks and sap staining. Increased sap flow rates are synonymous with the warmer months of the year. In an effort to reduce bronzing we are cutting fruit a little thinner and to assist with reducing the sap staining, we have made alterations to the packing line so that the hands are clustered at the beginning of the line to allow fruit more time in the trough to assist in stemming the sap flow and we have introduced tissue paper on the crowns and an additional sheet of paper in the carton to absorb any additional sap to try and keep the fruit appearance clean.

The national cut last week was again another high production week with 541,855 cartons which was a decrease of 5051 ctns on the week prior. The forecast for this week to be in a range of 500-520,000 cartons. This should see continued promotional activity in the banana space next week on retail shelves. Independent retailers were selling bananas at $1.99 to $2.49/kg this week.

Cavendish in general this week presented well. Overall less marking which is pleasing with findings of minor dry scar; small rub marks; light bat/bird marking still being seen. Colour was generally good with more plentiful supplies of fruit ready to eat and brighter bloom than in recent times.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied this week amongst the major supermarkets with Aldi’s ticket price at $2.49/kg; whilst Coles offered fruit at $2.50-$3.00/kg and Woolies offered fruit at $3.00/kg in the centres visited.








RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Toowoomba, Springwood and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $2.50-$3.00/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters also $2.50-$3.00/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with minor skin marking, light bat/bird marking and rub marking.

  • Lady Fingers were priced at $7.90/kg - at one store found the ladyfingers in hands. Red Tips at $4.90/kg.

Below: Aldi Toowoomba, Springwood and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $2.49/kg. The majority of the display at all three locations contained fruit that was semi to backward in colour.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $5.99/kg - a few clusters found with bronzing.

Below: Woolworths Toowoomba, Springwood and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $2.50-3.00/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage; minor bat/bird marking; major bruising (isolated) and rub marking observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $6.90-$7.50/kg - rub and maturity bronzing found

  • Red tips were priced at $4.50/kg and Organic at $5.00/kg

2021-Week 44

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw Western Australia maintain the lead in production contributing 60% of the total national harvest of some 394,796 trays last week; followed by New Zealand at 18%; Tristates at 8%; Central NSW with 7%;  and South Qld contributing 7%. The remaining 1% came from Tamborine/Northern Rivers. This production figure represents a small 16% decrease (just over 77,000 fewer trays) on the week prior and was 18% lower than what was forecast for the week. 

All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $0.99- $1.50per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $0.99-$2.00/piece depending upon quality/size. Within the markets things have remained relatively unchanged, premium trays of WA hass are selling in the range of $15 -$20/tray (very good quality getting a little $22) depending upon size and quality of each line; whereas premium NZ fruit is fetching $10-$15 (anything with colour or out-of-date spec is selling for $6-$10).  Pricing for class one fruit has remained stable (main sales) is ranging $6 -$14 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $6 to $14 (2nds) --$14-$30/ctn for premium bulks depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 445,000 trays and then the forecast is for figures ranging 440-460,000 trays per week through until the middle of November. The last four week period has seen an average national dispatch of 422,880 trays per week. If the targets projected by the industry are to be met a weekly average dispatch of 510,000 trays needs to be met from now through until the end of February 2022.

You will note that WA have contributed 60% of the national volume last week which equates to approximately 236,877 trays which is less than last week with this being put down to recent weather - showery days with water tending to sit in the paddock making it difficult for machinery and hence picking has slowed. The weather in the south west corner of WA has been cool with further showery days thrown into the mix over the last week, whilst early morning minimum temps ranging 4.5 to 10.0C and daytime maximum temps of 14.9 to 22.7C. The Manjimup region experienced 14mm of rain in the last week up till Wednesday, with more rain forecast again for late in the week. The available meteorological data for the Pemberton region shows that it has been cool with lows of 6.6-8.2C and daytime averages of 14.9-?C; they too have had rainfall across the week with a total fall of 16mm so far. This continued rainfall has the orchards being wetter underfoot which is hampering the picking process and limiting vehicle access - our own farm didn’t pick for the first three days this week. In addition to this, growers are very aware of the increased possibility of nodule damage if fruit is picked and transited during rainfall so been electing not to pick on wet days to ensure fruit quality on shelf, hence the available supply coming from WA last week and this week has been noticeably reduced.

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing and pricing in all three major supermarkets varied a little depending upon store location; sizing stocked and banner. The majority of stores this week were stocking NZ stock, though 2 of the 3 Woolworths stores visited had WA hass on offer. Fruit age in all stores was found to be ranging 22 to 29 days.

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had returned to a ticket price for Hass of $0.99ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.50 ea for multibuy offer of 3 for $4; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.00-$1.20ea. The fruit on shelves varied in condition with a range of 15-90% coloured on offer and ripeness ranging from very soft; to yielding to very firm.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets provide an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $4.99ea ; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $4.90 ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $4.50 and where stocked the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $4.00/bag.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

Despite quoting higher, most of the supermarkets are convinced that the amount of fruit in the system does not warrant a price increase at this stage, whereas Woolworths agreed to pay $1 extra per tray.

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Garden City, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Coles stores had Hass avocados priced at $1.50ea or multibuy offer of 3 for $4.00. Primarily all NZ stock - fruit age 29 days.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.90 ea - these too were filled with fruit of NZ origin.

  • Loose organic hass ranged in some stores at $4.00ea - with some stock over ripe.

Below: Aldi Garden City, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • NZ Hass loose count 23/25 @ $0.99 each everywhere and 6 piece Hass nets filled with NZ fruit at $4.99/$5.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and with loose having strong skin colour with a percentage being quite soft. Fruit age 29 days.

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Stores had Hass avocados at $1.00 each - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines but a good mix of maturity on offer. A mix of NZ and Australian grown fruit (fruit age 22 days) found at differing store locations.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.50/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $4.00ea

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

In the past week the morning temperatures have definitely warmed up in North Qld with all regions early a.m. temps falling within a range of 18 to 23.3C; whilst day time temperatures are giving us a glimpse of summer ranging 28.9 to 35.4C. In terms of rainfall this week all other major regions in the far north have been dry again this week. Banana bunch age has come back to 16 weeks on our farm currently, with fruit quality found to be good overall in the packshed.

The national cut last week was again another high production week with 546,906 cartons which was a decrease of 17087 ctns on the week prior. The forecast for this week to be in a range of 500-520,000 cartons. This should see continued promotional activity in the banana space next week on retail shelves. Independent retailers were selling bananas at $1.99 to $2.49/kg this week.

Cavendish in general this week presented well. Overall less marking which is pleasing with findings of minor dry scar; small rub marks; light bat/bird marking still being seen. Colour was generally good with more plentiful supplies of fruit ready to eat and brighter bloom than in recent times - one Aldi store did have some clusters with dull bloom.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied this week amongst the major supermarkets with Aldi’s ticket price lifting after last week’s special to $2.99/kg; whilst both Coles and Woolies offered fruit at $3.00/kg in the centres visited.







RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Garden City, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $3.00/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters also $3.00/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with minor skin marking, light bat/bird marking and rub marking.

  • Lady Fingers were priced at $7.90/kg. Red Tips at $4.90/kg.

Below: Aldi Garden City, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $2.99/kg. A small percentage of fruit had dull bloom, but generally bright.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $5.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $3.00/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage; minor bat/bird marking; sap stains and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.90/kg - rub and maturity bronzing found

  • Red tips were priced at $4.50/kg

2021-Week 43

/

QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw Western Australia maintain the lead in production contributing 63% of the total national harvest of some 472,212 trays last week; followed by New Zealand at 17%; Tristates at 9%; Central NSW with 5%;  and South Qld contributing 5%. The remaining 1% came from a combination of the following regions Sunshine Coast, and Tamborine/Northern Rivers. This production figure represents a small 1% increase on the week prior and was 7% higher than what was forecast for the week.  All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $1.00- $1.30per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $1.00-$2.00/piece depending upon quality/size. Within the markets things have remained relatively unchanged, premium trays of WA hass are selling in the range of $14 -$20/tray (very good quality getting a top of $22) depending upon size and quality of each line; whereas premium NZ fruit is fetching $10-$15 (anything with colour or out-of-date spec is selling for $6-$10).  Pricing for class one fruit has remained stable (main sales) is ranging $6 -$14 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $6 to $14 (2nds) --$14-$28/ctn for premium bulks depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 480,000 trays and then the forecast is for figures ranging in the range of 430-440,000 trays for the first few weeks of November. You will note that WA have contributed 63% of the national volume last week which equates to approximately 297,494 trays which has been their biggest week of the season to date. The weather in the south west corner of WA has been cool with a few showery days thrown into the mix last week, whilst early morning minimum temps ranging 4.0 to 10.9C and daytime maximum temps of 15.2 to 22.6C. The Manjimup region experienced 11mm of rain in the last week up till Wednesday, with more rain forecast again for later in the week. Pemberton region has also been cool with lows of 6.6-10.5C and daytime averages of 14.9-24.9C; they too have had rainfall across the week with a total fall of 21mm. Growers are very aware of the increased possibility of nodule damage if fruit is picked and transited during rainfall so structure their week to minimalize the effect that the weather may have.

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing and pricing in all three major supermarkets varied a little depending upon store location; sizing stocked and banner. The majority of stores this week were stocking NZ stock with fruit age ranging 19 to 29 days;

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass at $1.29ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.00 ea; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.20-$1.30ea. The fruit on shelves varied in condition with a range of 30-100% coloured on offer and ripeness ranging from very soft; to yielding to very firm - in a couple of stores it was all or nothing by way of extremes.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets provide an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $5.99ea ; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $4.90 ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $4.50 and where stocked the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $4.00/bag.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Kenmore, Garden City and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • Coles stores had Hass avocados priced at just $1.00ea. Primarily all NZ stock.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.90 ea - these too were filled with fruit of NZ origin.

  • Loose organic hass ranged in some stores at $4.00ea - with some stock over ripe.

Below: Aldi Kenmore, Garden City and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • NZ Hass loose count 23/25 @ $1.29 each everywhere and 6 piece Hass nets filled with NZ fruit at $5.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and with loose having strong skin colour with a percentage being quite soft. Fruit age 22-29 days.

Below: Woolworths Kenmore, Garden City and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • Stores had Hass avocados at $1.20 to $1.30 each - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines but a good mix of maturity on offer. A mix of NZ and Australian grown fruit found at differing store locations. The WA fruit at Garden City was all strongly coloured and needed to be sorted through and graded out.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.50/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $4.00ea

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

In the past week the morning temperatures have definitely warmed up in North Qld with all regions early a.m. temps falling within a range of 16.9 to 23.3C; whilst day time temperatures are giving us a glimpse of summer ranging 30.5 to 33.6C. In terms of rainfall this week Walkamin experienced the highest falls for the week with a total of 46mm whilst all other major regions in the far north have been dry again this week. Banana bunch age has come back to 16 weeks on our farm currently, with fruit quality found to be good overall in the packshed.

The national cut last week was again a BIG WEEK with another whopping 563,993 cartons which was a small increase of 1808 ctns on what was a big week prior. The forecast for this week to be in a range of 500-520,000 cartons. This should see continued promotional activity in the banana space next week on retail shelves.

Cavendish in general this week presented well. The usual minor marking with findings of dry scar; rub marks; some neck damage; and a small degree of bat/bird marking still being seen. A little more sap staining being seen this week. Colour was generally good with more plentiful supplies of fruit ready to eat and brighter bloom than in recent times.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied this week amongst the major supermarkets with Aldi’s ticket price lifting after last week’s special to $2.99/kg; whilst Coles had fruit at $3 to $3.50/kg and Woolies offered fruit at $3.00/kg in the centres visited.





RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Kenmore, Garden City and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $3.00 to $3.50/kg depending upon store location, with Kids 750g banded clusters also $3.00- $3.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with minor skin marking, neck damage and rub marking.

  • Lady Fingers were priced at $7.90/kg. Red Tips at $4.90/kg.

Below: Aldi Kenmore, Garden City and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $2.99/kg. A small percentage of fruit that was of semi colour condition present.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $5.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Kenmore, Garden City and Sunnybank Hills Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $3.00/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage; minor bat/bird marking; rust thrip damage; sap stains and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $6.90/kg - rub and maturity bronzing found

  • Red tips were priced at $4.50/kg

2021-Week 42

/

QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw Western Australia maintain the lead in production contributing 57% of the total national harvest of some 470,624 trays last week; followed by New Zealand at 16%; Tristates at 11%; Central NSW with 9%;  and South Qld contributing 5%. The remaining 2% came from a combination of the following regions Sunshine Coast, and Tamborine/Northern Rivers. This production figure represents a staggering 33% increase on week prior and was also 4% higher than what was forecast for the week.  All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $1.10- $1.50per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $1.00-$2.00/piece depending upon quality/size. Within the markets things have remained relatively unchanged, premium trays of WA hass are selling in the range of $14 -$20/tray (very good quality getting a little $22) depending upon size and quality of each line; whereas premium NZ fruit is fetching $10-$15 (anything with colour or out-of-date spec is selling for $6-$10).  Pricing for class one fruit has remained stable (main sales) is ranging $6 -$14 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $6 to $14 (2nds) --$14-$25/ctn for premium bulks depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 420,000 to 440,000 trays and then the forecast is for figures ranging in the range of 500-530,000 trays for the last week of October followed by a couple of weeks of between 420-440K per week for the next fortnight thereafter. You will note that WA have contributed 57% of the national volume last week which equates to approximately 268,000 trays. The weather in the south west corner of WA has experienced rain most days in the last week, whilst early morning minimum temps ranging 7.2 to 13.6C and daytime maximum temps of 16.1 to 27.2C. The Manjimup region experienced 19.2mm of rain in the last week up till Wednesday, with more rain expected late week. Pemberton region has been a little cooler with lows of 6-12.2C and daytime averages of 17.3-27.2C; they too have had rainfall across the week with a total fall of 22mm. Growers are very aware of the increased possibility of nodule damage if fruit is picked and transited during rainfall so structure their week to minimalize the effect that the weather may have.

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing and pricing in all three major supermarkets varied a little depending upon store location and banner. NZ stock was older fruit with age ranging 27-29 days; whilst Woolworths stores had a percentage of Australian fruit and therefore fruit was fresher with fruit age ranging 10 to 19 days.

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass at $1.29ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.50 ea or 3 for $4.00; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.10-$1.30ea. The majority of fruit on shelves, was found to be coloured or developing skin colour and yielding to gentle pressure.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets provide an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $5.99ea ; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $4.90 ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $4.50 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90/bag on special.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Carindale, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Coles stores had Hass avocados priced at just $1.50ea or 3 for $4.00. Primarily all NZ stock. With packed dates from 21st to 24th Sept therefore fruit age is 23 to 26 days. Displayed on ends and table top units.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.90 ea - these too were filled with fruit of NZ origin.

  • Loose organic hass ranged in some stores at $4.00ea.

Below: Aldi Carindale, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • NZ Hass loose count 23/25 @ $1.29 each everywhere and 6 piece Hass nets filled with NZ fruit at $5.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and with loose having strong skin colour with a percentage being quite soft. Fruit age 22-29 days.

Below: Woolworths Carindale, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Stores had Hass avocados at $1.10ea to $1.30 each depending upon size being stocked with count 16/18 selling for $1.30ea - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines but a good mix of maturity on offer. Majority of WW stores visited this week had Australian grown fruit and hence the fruit was much fresher.

  • Fruit age 10 to 15 days old.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.50/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90ea

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE


In the past week the morning temperatures have definitely warmed up in North Qld with all regions early a.m. temps falling within a range of 17.4 to 20.9C; whilst day time temperatures are giving us a glimpse of summer ranging 30.9 to 36.7C. In terms of rainfall this week Walkamin experienced the highest falls for the week with a total of 46mm whilst Mareeba received 27mm, Innisfail 12mm with Tully being relatively dry this week. If the warm weather experienced over the last week continues then bunch age will be coming back but it is still sitting at 16-17 weeks on farm currently.

The national cut last week was a whopping 562,185 cartons which was a solid increase of 130,632 ctns on the week prior. The forecast for this week to be in a range of 500-520,000 cartons. This will no doubt see continued promotional activity in the banana space next week.

Cavendish in general this week presented better. Less marking in general though fruit is still were exhibiting small minor skin marks, some neck damage; and a small degree of bat/bird marking still being seen. Colour was generally good with more plentiful supplies of fruit ready to eat and brighter bloom than in recent times.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied this week amongst the major supermarkets with Aldi running a Eastern seaboard catalogue special with fruit priced at at $1.99/kg; Both Coles and Woolies stores in the centres visited rallied to meet this special and had ticketed prices of $2.00-$3.00/kg depending upon store location and proximity to an Aldi store.   



RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Carindale, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $2 - $3/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters at $2 - $3/kg depending upon store location and positioning with reference to an Aldi who had a national special on bananas at $1.99/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with minor skin marking, neck damage and rub marking.

  • Lady Fingers were priced at $7.90/kg. Red Tips at $4.90/kg.

Below: Aldi Carindale, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $1.999/kg. A small percentage of fruit that was of semi colour condition present.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $5.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Carindale, Browns Plains and Indooroopilly Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $2.00/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage; minor bat/bird marking; rust thrip damage and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.50/kg - rub and maturity bronzing found as well as a few clusters with split peel.

  • Red tips were priced at $4.00/kg - some found with sooty mould.

2021-Week 40

/

QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw Western Australia maintain the lead in production contributing 39% of the total national harvest of some 420,754 trays last week; followed by New Zealand at 25%; Tristates at 17%; Central NSW with 10%;  and South Qld contributing 7%. The remaining 2% came from a combination of the following regions Sunshine Coast, Tamborine/Northern Rivers; and Central Qld. This production figure represents a 4% increase on week prior and was 9% higher than what was forecast for the week.  All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $0.99- $1.50per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $1.00-$2.00/piece depending upon quality/size. Within the markets, premium trays of hass are selling in the range of $12 -$18/tray (very good quality getting a little $18) depending upon size and quality of each line. There has been no change to supermarket pricing - this remained stable for several weeks and is expected to remain stable for the next two to three weeks at least.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $2 -$9 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $2 to $12 (2nds) --$12-$20/ctn for premium bulks depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 420,000 to 430,000 trays and then the forecast is for figures ranging in the range of 400-420,000 trays per week for the next three weeks thereafter. You will note that WA have contributed 39% of the national volume last week which equates to approximately 164,000 trays. The weather in the south west corner of WA has experienced rain most days in the last week, whilst early morning minimum temps ranging 3.2 to 11.9C and daytime maximum temps of 12.4 to 16.9C. The Manjimup region experienced 32mm of rain in the last week. Pemberton region has also had further rainfall though BOM is a little scare of data. Growers are very aware of the increased possibility of nodule damage if fruit is picked and transited during rainfall so structure their week to minimalise the effect that the weather may have.

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing and pricing in all three major supermarkets varied a little depending upon store location and banner.

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass at $0.99ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.50 ea or 3 for $4.00; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.10ea. The majority of fruit on shelves, was found to be coloured or developing skin colour and yielding to gentle pressure.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets provide an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $4.99ea ; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $4.90 ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $4.50 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90/bag on special.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Carindale, Garden City and Greenslopes Displays

  • Coles stores had Hass avocados priced at just $1.20ea or 3 for $4.00

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $5.50 and 1kg I’m Perfect packs at $3.50 each.

Below: Aldi Carindale, Garden City and Acacia Ridge Displays

  • NZ Hass loose count 23/25 @ 99c each everywhere and 6 piece Hass nets filled with NZ fruit at $5.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and with loose having strong skin colour with a percentage being quite soft.

Below: Woolworths Carindale, Garden City and Acacia Ridge Displays

  • Most stores had Hass avocados at $1.20ea on Wednesday, one store had them priced at $1.30 each but were selling count 16/18 - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines but a good mix of maturity on offer.

  • Fruit age 11 to 15 days old.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.50/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90ea

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE


In the past week the morning temperatures having finally started warming up in North Qld again in all regions within a range of 15.4 to 20.6C; whilst day time temperatures have ranged 25.6 to 36.5C. In terms of rainfall all regions have been relatively dry this week with the exception of Walkamin which has experienced light rainfall most days totally 40mm for the week. If the warm weather experienced over the last week continues then bunch age will be coming back but it is still sitting at 15-17 weeks on farm currently.

The national cut is forecast for this week to be in a range of 440-460,000 cartons.

Most lines of displayed fruit were exhibiting small minor skin marks, some with light sap staining; bat/bird marking still being seen; rust thrip damage; as well as neck creases found on a few lines on shelf. Colour was generally good ie brighter than in recent times though in a number of stores there seemed to be a higher presence of semi-coloured fruit. Whilst fruit bloom has definitely improved over recent weeks, there is still a low level presence of fruit with dull bloom on show in a few stores.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied this week amongst the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $2.49/kg; Coles with fruit ticketed at $2.50 - $3.50/kg and Woolworths at $2.50-$3.50/kg in the stores visited this week. 


RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Carindale, Garden City and Camp Hill Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $2.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters at $2.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with sooty mould, bronzing and minor skin marking.

  • Lady Fingers were priced at $7.90/kg. Red Tips at $4.90/kg.

Below: Aldi Carindale, Garden City and Camp Hill Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $2.49/kg. A small percentage of fruit that was of semi colour condition present.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $5.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Carindale, Garden City and Camp Hill Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $3.50/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage; minor bat/bird marking; rust thrip damage and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.50/kg - rub and maturity bronzing found as well as a few clusters with split peel.

  • Red tips were priced at $4.00/kg - some found with sooty mould.

2021-Week 38

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw Western Australia maintain the lead in production contributing 33% of the total national harvest of some 449,010 trays last week; followed by New Zealand at 23%; Tristates at 20%; Central NSW with 13%;  and South Qld contributing 9%. The remaining 2% came from a combination of the following regions Sunshine Coast, Tamborine/Northern Rivers; and Central Qld. This production figure represents a 40% increase on week prior and was 5% higher than what was forecast for the week.  All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $1.19- $1.30 per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $1.00-$2.00/piece depending upon quality/size. Within the markets, premium trays of hass are selling in the range of $10 -$16/tray depending upon size and quality of each line.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $2 -$9 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $1 to $5 (2nds) --$10-$20/ctn for premium bulks depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 430,000 to 440,000 trays and then the forecast is for figures ranging in the range of 420-450,000 trays per week for the next three weeks thereafter. You will note that WA have contributed 33% of the national volume last week which equates to approximately 148,000 trays. The weather in the south west corner of WA has been rather cool across the last week with early morning minimum temps ranging 2.4 to 9.9C and daytime maximum temps of 12.0 to 17.4C. The Manjimup region experienced 27mm of rain up to last Sunday and whilst it has been relatively dry for the start of this week the skies are grey and overcast and from Sunday on, daily rainfall is predicted for the next week. The Pemberton region has already experienced rainfall this week and again more is forecast. So this means picking and packing may be interrupted next week.

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing and pricing in all three major supermarkets varied a little depending upon store location.

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass still at $1.19ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.20 each; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.20 - $1.30ea - even though a couple of stores had old price signage up at $1 ea on our visits - this was soon remedied. The majority of fruit on shelves, was found to be coloured or developing skin colour and yielding to gentle pressure.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets provide an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $4.99 ea ; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $5.50 ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $4.50 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90/bag on special.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Cooparoo, Carindale and Fairfield Displays

  • Coles stores had Hass avocados priced at just $1.20ea.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $5.50 and 1kg I’m Perfect packs at $3.50 each.

Below: Aldi Cooparoo, Carindale and Fairfield Displays

  • NZ Hass loose count 23/25 @ $1.19c each everywhere and 6 piece Hass nets filled with NZ fruit at $4.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and with loose having strong skin colour with a percentage being quite soft.

  • Fruit on display was between 27 and 30 days old with packed on dates from 23rd August to 27th August found.

  • All stores had pricing tickets which said Product of Australia and yet stock was from NZ. The prepack line had swing tags that said Product of NZ but pricing tickets that said Product of Australia????

Below: Woolworths Cooparoo, Carindale and Moorooka Displays

  • Most stores had Hass avocados at $1.20ea on Wednesday, one store had them priced at $1.30 each but were selling count 16/18 - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines but a good mix of maturity on offer.

  • Fruit age 11 to 15 days old.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.50/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90ea

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

National production last week saw a total of 441,000 cartons harvested and sent to markets around Australia. This was a 9.9% decrease on the previous week equating to almost 49,000 fewer cartons. In the past week the morning temperatures dropped a little in all regions within a range of 12.2 to 17.3C across the major growing regions in North Qld; whilst day time temperatures have ranged 24.8 to 28.7C. In terms of rainfall all regions have been relatively dry including Mareeba as well as Innisfail and Tully with only minor falls however Walkamin had an average of 6-8 mm per day. Bunch age will gradually decrease in terms of how long it takes the bunch to form and fill-out but it is still sitting at 15-16 weeks on farm. Production this week for the industry is forecast to be within a range of 460-480,000 cartons.

Most lines of displayed fruit were exhibiting small minor skin marks, some with light bat/bird marking still being seen; rust thrip damage; neck creases and a presence of sap stains found on a few lines on shelf. Colour was generally good ie brighter than in recent times though in a number of stores there seemed to be a higher presence of semi-coloured fruit (a few of these were a little greener than semi-coloured). Still seeing a low presence of fruit with dull bloom on show in stores. Signage continued to be displayed in both Coles and Woolworths stores alerting their customers of the impact of cold winter temperatures on bananas during growth resulting in a dull bloom, yet fruit is still sweet to eat.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas was uniform amongst the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $3.49/kg; Coles with fruit ticketed at $3.50/kg and Woolworths at $3.50-$4.00/kg in the stores visited this week. 


RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Cooparoo, Carindale and Fairfield Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $3.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters at $3.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with sooty mould, bronzing and minor skin marking.

  • Lady Fingers were priced at $7.90/kg. Red Tips at $5.50/kg.

Below: Aldi Cooparoo, Carindale and Fairfield Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $3.49/kg. A small percentage of fruit that was of semi colour condition present.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $5.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Cooparoo, Carindale and Moorooka Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $3.50/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage; minor bat/bird marking; rust thrip damage and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.50/kg - rub and maturity bronzing found as well as a few clusters with split peel.

  • Red tips were priced at $4.00/kg - some found with sooty mould.

2021-Week 37

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw yet another change of guard with respects to the lead in production with Western Australia contributing 29% of the total national harvest of some 320 807 trays last week; followed by Tristates at 27%; Central NSW with 18%;  South Qld contributing 13%; and New Zealand contributing 7%. The remaining 6% came from a combination of the following regions Sunshine Coast, Tamborine/Northern Rivers; Central Qld and North Qld. This production figure represents an 19% decrease on week prior and was 18% lower than what was forecast for the week.  All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $0.99- $1.30 per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $0.49 - $1.00/piece. Within the markets, premium trays of hass are selling in the main range of $10 -$16/tray depending upon size and quality of each line.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $2 -$8 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $1 to $5 (2nds) --$10-$20/ctn for premium bulks depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 420,000 to 430,000 trays and then the forecast shows figures ranging in the range of 420-450,000 trays per week for the next three weeks thereafter. You will note that WA have contributed 29% of the national volume last week which equates to approximately 93,000 trays. The weather in the south west corner of WA has been rather cool across the last week with early morning minimum temps ranging 2.7 to 9.2C and daytime maximum temps of 12.6 to 20.3C. The Manjimup region experienced 34mm of rain up to last Sunday and then it has been relatively dry throughout the remainder of this week though another front has been forecast so we may see more rain late this week.

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing and pricing in all three major supermarkets varied a little depending upon store location.

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass still at $0.99ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.20 each; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.20 ea. The majority of fruit on shelves, was found to be coloured or developing skin colour and yielding to gentle pressure.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets provide an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $4.99 ea ; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $5.50 ea and 1kg I’m Perfect packs selling at $3.90ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $4.50 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.50/bag on special.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Garden City, Forest Lake and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • Coles stores had Hass avocados priced at just $1.20ea.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $5.50 and 1kg I’m Perfect packs at $3.50 each.

Below: Aldi Garden City, Forest Lake and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • NZ Hass count 23/25 @ 99c each everywhere and 6 piece Hass nets at $4.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and had strong skin colour with a percentage being quite soft.

  • Fruit on display was between 27 and 29 days old with packed on dates from 17th August to 19th August found.

  • All stores had pricing tickets which said Product of Australia and yet stock was from NZ. The prepack line had swing tags that said Product of NZ but pricing tickets that said Product of Australia????

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Forest Lake and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • Most stores had Hass avocados at $1.20ea on Wednesday - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines and a good mix of maturity on offer in some of these stores.

  • Fruit age 11 to 15 days old.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.50/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90ea

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

In the past week the morning temperatures are starting to warm up within a range of 14.5 to 20.1C across the major growing regions in North Qld; whilst day time temperatures have ranged 22.1 to 32.5C. In terms of rainfall all regions have been relatively dry this week in Mareeba and Walkamin but all other NQ growing regions have experienced 18-20mm each for the week. Now that the weather is warming bunch age will gradually decrease in terms of how long it takes the bunch to form and fill-out or if you prefer, as the sunlight hours increase together with warmer temperatures growth will hasten - we are now seeing bunch age range 15-16 weeks on farm.

Most lines of displayed fruit were exhibiting small minor skin marks, some with light bat/bird marking; neck creases and a presence of sap stains as well as a little sooty mould found on a few lines. Colour was generally good through out with stores offering both coloured and semi-coloured fruit (a few of these were a little greener than semi-coloured though). Still seeing some fruit with dull bloom on show in stores. Signage continued to be displayed in both Coles and Woolworths stores alerting their customers of the impact of cold winter temperatures on bananas during growth resulting in a dull bloom, yet fruit is still sweet to eat.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied between the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $3.49/kg; Coles with fruit ticketed at $3.00/kg and Woolworths at $3.50/kg in the stores visited this week. 

RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Garden City, Forest Lake and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $3.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters at $3.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with sooty mould, bronzing and minor skin marking.

  • Lady Fingers were priced at $7.90/kg. Red Tips at $5.50/kg.

Below: Aldi Garden City, Forest Lake and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $3.49/kg. A small percentage of fruit that was of semi colour condition present.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $5.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Forest Lake and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $3.50/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage; minor bat/bird marking; rust thrip damage and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.50/kg - rub and maturity bronzing found as well as a few clusters with split peel.

  • Red tips were priced at $4.00/kg - some found with sooty mould.

2021-Week 34

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week again saw Central Qld maintaining the lead in terms of avocado production accounting for 36% of the total harvest of some 453,470 trays last week; followed by Central NSW with 17%;  South Qld at 15%; WA at 14% and Tristate at 13%. The remaining 5% came from a combination of the following regions Sunshine Coast, Tamborine; Northern Rivers; North Qld and a trickle from New Zealand. This production figure represents a 7% increase on week prior and was 7% higher than what was forecast for the week.  All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $0.99- $1.00 per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $1.00/piece. It is hoped that with pricing reset at this piece rate that sales will enliven. Within the markets, avocado sales for premium trays are in the range of $10 -$18/tray depending upon size and quality of each line.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $3 --$8 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $1 to $5 (2nds) --$10-$25/ctn for premium bulks depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 430,000 trays and then the forecast shows figures ranging in the range of 430-460,000 trays per week for the next three weeks. With both Sydney and Melbourne still in lockdown due to Covid 19 the markets are struggling to move the volume of fruit they have with many merchants asking growers not to send unless they have authorised consignments. This has significantly devalued class one and the bulk market with no real change anticipated in the near future. You will note that WA have again contributed 14% of the national volume this week which equates to approximately 63,500 trays. The weather in the south west corner of WA experienced rain 4 out of the last 7 days with between 2 and 6mm per day, morning temps ranging 4.3-9.5C and daytime temps of 12.7 to 20.3C - relatively as forecast for the last week. Tristates contributed another 13% which is approx 60,000 trays. Both regions are holding steady at the moment in terms of harvesting with markets being in a contracted state.

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing and pricing in all three major supermarkets has remained at a stable $1 a piece - so we are hoping this stimulates consumer appetites for a few extra avocados in their shopping baskets this week. Whilst checking on stores this week, I overheard shoppers when at the avocado display with comments like “at a $1 each we can put a couple in the basket” which is pleasing indeed.

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass back at $0.99ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.00 each; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.00-$1.10 ea. The majority of fruit on shelves, whilst having developing skin colour was found to be just yielding to firm. Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets provide an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $3.99 ea and featured in their weekly catalogue; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $4.50 ea and 1kg I’m Perfect packs selling at $3.50ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $5.00-$5.90 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90/bag.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Fairfield, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Coles stores had Hass avocados priced at just $1.00ea.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.50 and 1kg I’m Perfect packs at $3.50 each.

Below: Aldi Acacia Ridge, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Hass @ 99c each everywhere and 6 piece Hass nets at $3.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and of good quality with minimal bruising/damage - light nodule damage present on some lines.

  • Fruit on display was between 6 and 14 days old.

Below: Woolworths Acacia Ridge, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Most stores had Hass avocados at $1.00ea on Wednesday - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines and a good mix of maturity on offer in some of these stores.

  • Fruit age 11 to 15 days old.

  • 5 piece packs at $5.00/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90ea

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

In the past week the morning temperatures have cooled with a range of 14 to 20.2C across the major growing regions in North Qld; whilst day time temperatures have ranged 23.2 to 30.6C. In terms of rainfall, both Innisfail and Tully have received a little more rain this week with a total of 30mm for Innisfail and 12mm for Tully across the week; whilst Mareeba and Walkamin districts have both been relatively dry over the last week. With the continuation of rather mild weather, there has not been a great deal of change with respect to bunch age this week - so we are still ranging 16-17 weeks on farm. Growth rates are steady, with not a great deal of change expected until the weather heats up and they day lengthens.

The national cut for last week was just shy of 471K cartons. This figure represented a decrease of 6.15% on the previous week. The national cut for this week is expected to be similar, within a range of 480-500K cartons. On farm we are grading out 10-15% with heavier marking to ensure fruit is within spec on arrival.

Most lines of fruit are exhibiting small minor skin marks, some with light bat/bird marking; neck creases and a presence of sap stains. Colour was generally good though all three Coles stores visited had a high percentage of semi-condition fruit on display. Aldi stock tended to have a higher percentage of fruit with dull bloom. Signage continued to be displayed in both Coles and Woolworths stores alerting their customers of the impact of cold winter temperatures on bananas during growth resulting in a dull bloom, yet fruit is still sweet to eat.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied between the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $3.49/kg; Coles with fruit ticketed at $3.50-$4/kg and Woolworths at $3.00/kg in the stores visited this week. 



RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Fairfield, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $3.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters at $3.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with sooty mould, bronzing and minor skin marking.

  • Lady Fingers were on special at $5.50/kg. Red Tips at $5.50/kg.

Below: Aldi Acacia Ridge, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $3.49/kg. A small percentage of fruit that was of semi colour condition present. Overall Aldi stores had the highest presence of fruit with dull bloom and generally a higher percentage of small minor skin marks.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $4.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Acacia Ridge, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $3.00/kg, Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $6.90/kg

  • Red tips were priced at $4.00/kg

2021-Week 33

/

QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw Central Qld maintaining the lead in terms of avocado production accounting for 40% of the total harvest of some 422,996 trays last week; followed by Central NSW with 15%;  South Qld at 15%; WA at 14% and Tristate at 10%. The remaining 6% came from a combination of the following regions Sunshine Coast, Tamborine; Northern Rivers and North Qld. This production figure represents a 13% decrease on week prior and was 4% lower than what was forecast for this week.  All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $0.99- $1.00 per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit also for $1.00/piece. It is hoped that with pricing reset at this piece rate that sales will enliven. Within the markets, avocado sales for premium trays are in the range of $12 -$22/tray depending upon size and quality of each line, the top of $22 is weakening and expected to be a top of $20/tray by next week.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $5 --$12 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $5 (2nds) --$26/ctn depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 420,000 - 430,000 trays and then the forecast shows a slight increase per week for the next three weeks. You will note that WA have contributed 14% of the national volume this week which equates to approximately 60,000 trays. The weather in the south west corner of WA has been better this week with isolated showers, morning temps ranging 4.2-9.9C and daytime temps of 16.4 to 23.8C. This is a welcome change to the last few weeks in preparation for the upcoming harvest.

Avocado display presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing with the appearance of some new usage signage with simple ideas for customers.

Price in all three major supermarkets has dropped back to $1 a piece - so we are hoping this stimulates consumer appetites for a few extra avocados in their shopping baskets this week. In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass back at $0.99ea;  Coles Qld had Hass ticketed at $1.00 each; and Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass also ticketed at $1.00 ea. The majority of fruit on shelves, whilst having developing skin colour was found to be just yielding to firm. Ideal really.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets provide an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $5.49 ea; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $5.00 ea and 1kg I’m Perfect packs selling at $4.00ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $5.00 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at a super $3.50/bag.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Browns Plains Displays

  • Coles stores had Hass avocados priced at just $1.00ea.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $5.00 and Garden City store had 1kg I’m Perfect packs at $4.00 each.

Below: Aldi Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Browns Plains Displays

  • Hass @ $1.19ea at Sunnybank Hills but 99c each everywhere else and 6 piece Hass nets at $5.49.

  • All fruit was well stocked and of good quality with minimal bruising/damage - light nodule damage present on some lines.

  • Fruit on display was between 6 and 14 days old.

Below: Woolworths Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Browns Plains Displays

  • Most stores had Hass avocados at $1.00ea on Wednesday - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines and a good mix of maturity on offer in some of these stores.

  • Fruit age 11 to 15 days old.

  • 5 piece packs at $5.00/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90ea

  • One prepack had a significant amount of damage>

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

In the past week the morning temperatures have cooled with a range of 13.3 to 19.9C across the major growing regions in North Qld; whilst day time temperatures have ranged 23 to 27C Both Innisfail and Tully have received more rain this week with a total of 106mm for Innisfail and 82mm for Tully across the week; whilst Walkamin districts received a total of 4mm/day so far this week. With the continuation of rather mild weather, there has not been a great deal of change with respect to bunch age this week - so we are still ranging 16-17 weeks on farm. Growth rates are steady, with not a great deal of change expected until the weather heats up and they day lengthens.

The national cut for last week was just shy of 502K cartons. This figure represented a decrease of 2.96% on the previous week. The national cut for this week is expected to be similar, within a range of 500-510K cartons. Our harvest team continue to be proactively cutting fruit that is slightly thinner in girth in order to prevent too much bronzing damage - we are continuing to grade out 10-15% with heavier marking.

Most lines of fruit are exhibiting small minor skin marks, some with light bat/bird marking; neck creases and a presence of sap stains. Colour was generally good. Aldi stock tended to have a higher percentage of fruit with dull bloom. Signage found on display in both Coles and Woolworths stores alerting their customers of the impact of cold winter temperatures on bananas during growth resulting in a dull bloom, yet fruit is still sweet to eat.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied between the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $3.99/kg; Coles with fruit ticketed at $3.50/kg and Woolworths at $4.00/kg in the stores visited this week. 



RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Browns Plains Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $3.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters at $3.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with sooty mould, bronzing and minor skin marking.

  • Lady Fingers were on special at $5.50/kg. Red Tips at $5.50/kg.

Below: Aldi Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Browns Plains Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $3.99/kg. A small percentage of fruit that was of semi colour condition present. Overall Aldi stores had the highest presence of fruit with dull bloom and generally a higher percentage of small minor skin marks.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $6.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Browns Plains Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $3.50-4.00/kg depending upon store location. Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.90/kg - some clusters with rub marking

  • Red tips were priced at $5.00/kg

2021-Week 32

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw Central Qld maintaining the lead in terms of avocado production accounting for 48% of the total harvest of some 487,057 trays last week; followed by Central NSW with 14%;  South Qld at 11%; WA at 10% and North Qld/Tristate with 7% each. The remaining 4% came from a combination of Sunshine Coast, Tamborine and Northern Rivers.  This production figure represents a 14% increase on week prior and was 13% higher than what was forecast for this period.  All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $1.19- $1.40 per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit at $1.00-$1.50/piece. Within the markets, avocado sales for premium trays are in the range of $12 -$22/tray depending upon size and quality of each line, the top of $22 is weak and expected to come back next week.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $6 --$12 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $5 (2nds) --$26/ctn depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 440,000 - 450,000 trays and then the forecast shows a the quantity to be produced each week gradually increasing in the next three to four week period. You will note that WA have contributed 10% of the national volume this week which equates to approximately 49,000 trays - this is just the start of what has been touted to be their biggest season on record. The weather in the south west corner of WA has continued to cause some headaches with a hail storm in the past week with an estimated loss of 4-5 pieces per tree - still not significant in relation to the overall size of the crop but with more rain and storms forecast we are ever on the alert.

Presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets offer an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $5.99 ea; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $5.00 ea and 1kg I’m Perfect packs selling at $4.00ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $5.50 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at a super $3.90-$4.90/bag.

Price has remained relatively steady with a $0.10-$0.20 up/down piece rate movement noted this week in some stores. In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass back at $1.19ea;  Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass ticketed at $1.20-$1.30 ea; whilst Coles in Qld had Hass at a piece price of $1.20- $1.40each. The ripeness of fruit on shelves varied this week with some stores with a presence of ripe to overripe fruit; but the majority of displays had fruit that would be ready to eat the next or two.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Springwood, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Coles stores had Hass avocados priced at just $1.20ea.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $5.00 and 1kg I’m Perfect packs at $4.00 each.

Below: Aldi Springwood, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Hass @ $1.19ea and 6 piece Hass nets at $5.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and of good quality with minimal bruising/damage - light nodule damage present on some lines.

  • Fruit on display was between 6 and 14 days old.

Below: Woolworths Springwood, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Most stores had Hass avocados at $1.20ea on Wednesday - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines and a good mix of maturity on offer in some of these stores.

  • Fruit age 11 to 15 days old.

  • 5 piece packs at $5.50/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90 - $4.90ea depending upon store location.

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

In the past week the morning temperatures have cooled with a range of 8 to 20.1C across the major growing regions in North Qld; whilst day time temperatures have ranged 21 to 27.8C. The lows of 8-10.4C were mainly experienced in Innisfail and Tully who also experienced light rainfall with between 10-16mm for the week. These low temps will see a little more development of dull bloom in the weeks to come. Mareeba was relatively dry in the last week; whilst Walkamin districts received a total 28mm across the week. With the continuation of rather mild weather, there has not been a great deal of change with respect to bunch age this week - so we are still ranging 16-17 weeks on farm. Growth rates can be best described as being steady at this stage of the season.

The national cut for last week was a little over 517K cartons. This figure represented an increase of 7.7% on the previous week. The national cut for this week is expected to be similar, within a range of 480-500K cartons. Our harvest team continue to be proactively cutting fruit that is slightly thinner in girth in order to prevent too much bronzing damage - we are continuing to grade out 10-15% with heavier marking.

There were a few stores with low stock levels this week when we visited - this may be related to the time of the visit, perhaps stores waiting on delivery of stock. Overall colour was generally good and whilst there is a presence of dull bloom fruit, it is not excessive which relates directly to the rather mild winter we have had in North Qld to date. Signage was again found on display in both Coles and Woolworths stores alerting their customers of the impact of cold winter temperatures on bananas during growth resulting in a dull bloom, yet fruit is still sweet to eat.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied between the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $3.99/kg; both Coles and Woolworths at $4.00-$4.50/kg in the stores visited this week. 



RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Springwood, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $4.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters at $4.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with sooty mould, bronzing and minor skin marking.

  • Lady Fingers were $7.90/kg. Red Tips at $5.50/kg.

  • Some stores were seriously lacking in stock (9:40 am), could be waiting on arrivals

Below: Aldi Springwood, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $3.99/kg. A small percentage of fruit that was of semi colour condition present.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $6.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Springwood, Garden City and Cooparoo Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $4.00-4.50/kg depending upon store location. Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.90/kg - some clusters with rub marking

  • Red tips were priced at $5.90/kg

2021-Week 30

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The figures released this week saw Central Qld maintaining the lead in terms of avocado production accounting for 52% of the total harvest of some 401,961 trays last week; followed by North Qld with 24%;  South Qld at 10%; Central NSW 6% and WA at 5%. The remaining 3% came from a combination of the following regions Sunshine Coast, Tamborine; Northern Rivers and Tristate.  This production figure represents an 6% increase on week prior and was 12% higher than what was forecast for this period.  All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $1.19- $1.50 per piece, whilst independents were selling class one fruit at $1.00/piece. Sales have slowed somewhat this week in stores - this may be due to the slight ticket price increase or due to the fact that there are still a number of locations in lockdown. Within the markets, avocado sales for premium trays are in the range of $14 -$24/tray depending upon size and quality of each line, the top of $24 is rare, the true top price being within $20-$22 for most sales.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $6 --$15 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $5 (2nds) --$28/ctn depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 390,000 - 400,000 trays and then the forecast shows a slight increase by approximately 10-20K per week for the next three weeks. This would tend to indicate pricing will remain relatively stable at this point with no further increases, if anything in the next 3-4 weeks it will start trending down again.

Presentation in Qld stores this week was generally pleasing. The humble Hass avocado is the star attraction as it appears that the Gmax has almost completed its season with a display being found in one store only this week during our visits.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets offer an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $4.99 ea; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $4.90 ea and 1kg I’m Perfect packs selling at $3.90ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $5.90 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at a super $3.90/bag.

Price has moved up marginally this week in some stores. In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass back at $1.19ea;  Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass ticketed at $1.20-$1.50 ea; whilst Coles in Qld had Hass at a piece price of $1.20 each. The majority of fruit on shelves is firm, with a low level of fruit that can be selected to eat that day or the next.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Carindale, Greenslopes, Coomera Displays

  • Coles stores had Hass avocados priced at just $1.20ea. Fruit found with packed dates of 15th July through to 20th July which meant fruit was 8 to 13 days old.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $5.90 and 1kg I’m Perfect packs at $3.90 each.

Below: Aldi Carindale, Drewvale, Coomera Displays

  • Stores stocked either Purpleskin or Freshmax (Dorian Fruit) Hass @ $1.19ea and 6 piece Hass nets at $5.49.

  • All fruit was well stocked and of good quality with minimal bruising/damage - light nodule damage present on some lines.

  • Fruit on display was between 6 and 14 days old.

Below: Woolworths Carindale, Greenslopes, Coomera and Oxenford Displays

  • Most stores had Hass avocados at $1.20-$1.50ea on Wednesday - a presence of minor skin marking on a few lines and a good mix of maturity on offer in some of these stores. Odd bruised piece found.

  • Fruit age 11 to 15 days old.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.90 to $5.90/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $3.90 - $4.90ea depending upon store location.

INDEPENDENT STORE - Westfield Coomera

  • Count 18 Hass @ $1.00 each, packed 19th July making them 9 days old- Rockridge Own - Class one 18’s.

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

In the past week the morning temperatures have cooled with a range of 10.5 to 17.2C across the major growing regions in North Qld; whilst day time temperatures have ranged 25 to 32.8C Mareeba, Innisfail and Tully have all been relatively dry in the last week; whilst Walkamin districts received a total of 4-5mm/day across the week. With the continuation of rather mild weather, there has not been a great deal of change with respect to bunch age this week - so we are still ranging 16-17 weeks on farm. Growth rates are steady, fruit is taking a little longer to fill out and we expect the bunch age to push out by a further week as the overnight/morning temps continue to drop.

The national cut for last week was a little over 419K cartons. This figure represented an increase of 7.31% on the previous week. The national cut for this week is expected to be similar, within a range of 395-420K cartons. Our harvest team continue to be proactively cutting fruit that is slightly thinner in girth in order to prevent too much bronzing damage - we are continuing to grade out 10-15% with heavier marking.

There was a noticeable difference between lines on shelf this week at the major supermarkets - some lines with heavy bronzing on some clusters; others with a presence of bruising, light sap staining and minor skin marking. Colour was generally good. Signage found on display in both Coles and Woolworths stores alerting their customers of the impact of cold winter temperatures on bananas during growth resulting in a dull bloom, yet fruit is still sweet to eat.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland on bananas varied between the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $3.49-$3.99/kg; both Coles and Woolworths at $3.50-$4.50/kg in the stores visited this week. 



RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Carindale, Greenslopes, Coomera Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $4.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters at $4.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with sooty mould, bronzing and minor skin marking.

  • Stores had Winter Banana Update notices up for customers relating to dull bloom at this time of year.

  • Lady Fingers were $7.90/kg. Red Tips at $5.00/kg.

Below: Aldi Carindale and Drewvale Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $3.99/kg , again some bruising and skin scarring and minor neck damage present. A higher percentage of fruit that was of semi colour condition present.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $6.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Carindale, Greenslopes, Coomera and Oxenford Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $2.50-3.50/kg depending upon store location. Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.90/kg - some clusters with rub marking. Red Tips ticketed at $5.00/kg.

INDEPENDENT STORE

  • Cavendish Bananas @ $2.99/kg

  • Stacked, therefore some marking

2021-Week 29

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

This week we finally saw Central Qld taking the lead in terms of avocado production accounting for 57% of the total harvest of some 378,624 trays last week; followed by North Qld with 23%;  South Qld at 8%; Sunshine Coast, Northern Rivers and Tristate supplied a combined 8% and the remaining 4% came from Tamborine and Norther Rivers.  This production figure represents an 11% decrease on week prior and as 11% increase on what was forecast for this period.  This decrease in production has been followed by a slight tightening of pricing with most premium sizes enjoying an increase of up $2-$3 per tray.     All major supermarkets are currently selling premium Hass at $1.19- $1.30 per piece, and whilst this continues to represent exceptional value, most have noticed a slight decline in sales. Avocado market sales for premium trays are in the range of $12 -$20/tray.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $6 --$10 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $5 --$28/ctn depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be considerably lighter in the vicinity of 350,000 - 365,000 trays and then the forecast shows a slight decrease by approximately 10K per week for the next three weeks thereafter so pricing may firm up further depending upon customer purchase patterns and demand. As a guide, we are aiming for all harvesting of North Qld avocados to be finalised either this coming week or first full week of August to ensure a home on a supermarket shelf. If you believe you will still need additional time, please let us know as soon as possible and provide an indication of volumes yet to be harvested, so that we can discuss this with buyers.

Presentation in Qld stores this week varied. The humble Hass avocado is still the main attraction though both Coles and Woolworths have continued with having presence of Greenskin’s Gmax avocado (selling count 14-18’s mainly) at a higher ticket price than the Hass.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets offer an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $4.99 ea; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $4.90 ea and 1kg I’m Perfect packs selling at $3.90ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $5.90 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at a super $3.90/bag.

Price has continued to be the driving factor whilst volumes are high. In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass back at $1.19ea;  Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass and Greenskin Gmax Avos ticketed at $1.20-$1.30 ea for Hass and $2.00 ea on the Gmax; whilst Coles in Qld had Hass at a piece price of $1.20 ea whilst similarly selling the Greenskin Gmax Avos at $2.00 each.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Garden City, Toombul and Carindale Displays

  • Coles stores had Greenskins Gmax Avos priced at $2 ea and Hass avocados priced at just $1.00ea. Fruit found with packed dates of 10th July through to 16th July which meant fruit was 7 to 12 days old.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.90 and 1kg I’m Perfect packs at $3.90 each.

Below: Aldi Garden City, Toombul and Carindale Displays

  • Stores stocked either Purpleskin or Freshmax (Dorian Fruit) Hass @ $1.19ea and 6 piece Shepard nets at $4.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and of good quality with minimal bruising/damage - light nodule damage present on some lines.

  • Fruit on display was between 6 and 14 days old.

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Nundah and Carindale Displays

  • Most stores had Greenskins Gmax Green skin avos @$2 ea and Hass avocados at $1.30ea on Wednesday - a presence of nodule damage on most lines in varying degrees. Odd bruised piece found.

  • Fruit age 11 to 15 days old.

  • 5 piece packs at $5.90/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed on special this week at $3.90ea.

INDEPENDENT STORE

  • Hass @ 2 for $4.00

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

In the past week the morning temperatures varied greatly but we have had our first morning field temp of 10C or just below (9.5C) which is renowned for being at what point we will start to see a wider impact of underpeel discoloration or greying of the sub dermal layers of the banana skin which reflects as an outward dull colour. Morning temps across the major growing regions in North Qld have ranged 9.5-20C whilst day time temperatures have ranged 24.8 to 31.6C Mareeba, Innisfail and Tully have all been relatively dry in the last week; whilst Walkamin districts received a total of 30mm across the week. With the continuation of rather mild weather, there has not been a great deal of change with respect to bunch age this week - so we are still ranging 16-17 weeks on farm.

The national cut for last week was a little over 390K cartons. This figure represented a slight decrease of 1.1% on the previous week. The national cut for this week is expected to be similar, within a range of 390-410K cartons. Our harvest team continue to be proactively cutting fruit that is slightly thinner in girth in order to prevent too much bronzing damage - we are continuing to grade out 10-15% with heavier marking.

There was a noticeable difference between lines on shelf this week at the major supermarkets - some lines with heavy bronzing on some clusters; others with a presence of bruising, light sap staining and minor skin marking. Colour was generally good. Signage found on display in both Coles and Woolworths stores alerting their customers of the impact of cold winter temperatures on bananas during growth resulting in a dull bloom, yet fruit is still sweet to eat.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland revealed Aldi leading the way on price, this may have been in response to local independent operators offering fruit at similiar price points. The offer varied between the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $2.99/kg; both Coles and Woolworths at $3.50-$4.00/kg in the stores visited in Qld this week. 


RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Garden City, Toombul and Carindale Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $3.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters at $3.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with sooty mould, bronzing and minor skin marking.

  • Stores had Winter Banana Update notices up for customers relating to dull bloom at this time of year.

  • Lady Fingers were $7.90/kg. Red Tips at $5.00/kg.

Below: Aldi Garden City, Toombul and Carindale Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $2.99/kg , again some bruising and skin scarring and minor neck damage present. A higher percentage of fruit that was of semi colour condition present.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $6.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Nundah and Carindale Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $2.50-3.50/kg depending upon store location. Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.90/kg - some clusters with rub marking. Red Tips ticketed at $5.50/kg.

INDEPENDENT STORE

  • NQ Cavendish Bananas @ $1.49/kg

  • Stacked, significant marking and around 40% green

2021-Week 28

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

This week North Qld again supplied the majority of avocado production accounting for 52% of the total harvest of some 423,281 trays last week; followed by Central Qld with 39%;  and the remaining 8% came from combined regions of South Qld; Sunshine Coast, Tamborine, Northern Rivers and Tristate made a start.  This production figure represents a 23% increase on week prior and also a 7% increase on what was forecast for this period.  Despite the national production increasing for last week, the markets remain relatively tidy with a slight tightening of pricing.     All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $1- $1.20 per piece, which from a customer’s perspective continues to represent exceptional value. Avocado market sales for premium trays are in the range of $11 -$18/tray.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $6 --$10 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $5 --$28/ctn depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be considerably lighter in the vicinity of 340,000 - 350,000 trays and then the forecast shows a slight decline each week for the next three weeks thereafter so pricing may firm up a little more.

Presentation in Qld stores this week varied. The humble Hass avocado is still the main attraction though both Coles and Woolworths have continued with having presence of Greenskin’s Gmax avocado at a higher ticket price than the Hass. What continues to be missing at all stores during this time of price promotion is a percentage of the display that is ripe and ready for use - the majority of fruit continues to be firm and will still require another 2 to 3 days before it is ready to enjoy which in some cases will equate to lost sales opportunities, especially for the new category purchaser, who may be tempted by the current low prices.

Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets offer an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $4.99 ea; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $4.90 ea and 1kg I’m Perfect packs selling at $5.50ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $4.90 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at a super $3.90/bag.

Price has continued to be the driving factor whilst volumes are high. In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass back at $0.99ea featuring in their catalogue this week as a full page feature;  Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass and Greenskin Gmax Avos ticketed at $1.00 ea for Hass and $2.00 ea on the Gmax; whilst Coles in Qld had Hass at a piece price of $1 ea whilst similarly selling the Greenskin Gmax Avos at $2.00 each.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Forest Lake, Sunnybank Hills and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • Coles stores had Greenskins Gmax Avos priced at $2 ea and Hass avocados priced at just $1.00ea. There was some poor quality fruit on show in a couple of the stores visited this week. Fruit found with packed dates of 30th June through to 7th July which meant fruit was 7 to 14 days old.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.90 and 1kg I’m Perfect packs at $5.50 each.

Below: Aldi Forest Lake, Sunnybank Hills and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • Stores stocked either Purpleskin or Freshmax (Dorian Fruit) Hass @ $0.99ea and 6 piece Shepard nets at $4.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and of good quality with minimal bruising/damage - light nodule damage present on some lines.

  • Fruit on display was between 6 and 14 days old.

Below: Woolworths Forest Lake, Sunnybank Hills and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • Most stores had Greenskins Gmax Green skin avos @$2 ea and Hass avocados at $1.00ea on Wednesday - a presence of nodule damage on most lines in varying degrees. Odd bruised piece found.

  • Fruit age 11 to 15 days old.

  • 5 piece packs at $4.90/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed on special this week at $3.90ea.

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The weather in the past week has been a touch cooler with early morning temperatures ranging 14.6-20.5C whilst day time temperatures have ranged 21.5 to 28C Mareeba has been relatively dry; whilst Tully and Innisfail experienced heavier rainfalls late last week in the vicinity of 50-78mm respectively but drier since and Walkamin districts have experienced daily showers of 3-4mm - the rain is helping keep it a little warmer. Colder temperatures are forecast for late July, early August which is when we may see a heavier presence of underpeel chill. With the continuation of rather mild weather, there has not been a great deal of change with respect to bunch age this week - so we are still ranging 16-17 weeks on farm.

The national cut for last week was approximately 5.4% lower than the previous week at a total of 395K cartons. The national cut for this week is expected to be similar, within a range of 390-410K cartons. Our harvest team continue to be proactively cutting fruit that is slightly thinner in girth in order to prevent too much bronzing damage - we are continuing to grade out 10% with heavier marking.

There was a noticeable difference between lines on shelf this week at the major supermarkets - some lines with heavy bronzing on some clusters; others with a presence of light sooty mould and minor bruising. Colour was generally good. Signage found on display in both Coles and Woolworths stores alerting their customers of the impact of cold winter temperatures on bananas during growth resulting in a dull bloom, yet fruit is still sweet to eat.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland was fairly uniform with cavendish retail tickets fundamentally at $3.50/kg. The offer varied between the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $3.49/kg; both Coles and Woolworths at $3.50/kg in the stores visited in Qld this week. 



RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Forest Lake, Sunnybank Hills and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $3.50/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters at $3.50/kg. Quality across stores was quite good though some clusters found with sooty mould, bronzing and minor skin marking.

  • Stores had Winter Banana Update notices up for customers relating to dull bloom at this time of year.

  • Lady Fingers were $7.90/kg. Red Tips at $5.00/kg.

Below: Aldi Forest Lake, Sunnybank Hills and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $3.49/kg , again some bruising and skin scarring and minor neck damage present. A higher percentage of fruit that was of semi colour condition present.

    Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $6.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Forest Lake, Sunnybank Hills and Mt Ommaney Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $3.50-4.50/kg depending upon store location. Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50 but minimal stock of this line found. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.90/kg - some clusters with rub marking. Red Tips ticketed at $5.50/kg as were organic bananas.

2021-Week 26

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

This week North Qld again supplied the majority of avocado production accounting for 53% of the total harvest of some 421,358 trays last week; followed by Central Qld with 43%;  and the remaining 4% came from combined regions of South Qld; Sunshine Coast, Tamborine and Northern Rivers made a start.  This production figure represents a 6% increase on week prior and also an 11% increase on what was forecast for this period.  As of today, there is still a significant volume of fruit in all markets and we expect current pricing to be maintained.     All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $1- $1.20 per piece, which from a customer’s perspective continues represents astounding value. Avocado market sales for premium trays are in the range of $11 -$16/tray.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $4 --$7 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $5 --$20/ctn depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 370,000 - 380,000 trays and then is forecast to be in the vicinity of 370-390K/week in the following fortnight. 

Presentation in Qld stores this week was somewhat mixed both in terms of quality and stock availability with Brisbane and Townsville entering lockdown from 6pm Tuesday 28th June for three days. The humble Hass avocado is still the main attraction though both Coles and Woolworths have continued with having presence of Greenskin’s Gmax avocado at a higher ticket price than the Hass. What continues to be missing at all stores during this time of price promotion is a percentage of the display that is ripe and ready for use - the majority of fruit continues to be firm and will still require another 2 to 3 days before it is ready to enjoy which in some cases will equate to lost sales opportunities, especially for the new category purchaser, who may be tempted by the current low prices.

This week we again saw activity amongst the Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets with an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $4.99 ea; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $4.50 ea and 1kg I’m Perfect packs selling at $5.50ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $5.00 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at a super $3.90/bag.

Price has continued to be the driving factor whilst volumes are high. In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Hass back at $0.99ea;  Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass and Greenskin Gmax Avos ticketed at $1.00 ea for Hass and $2.00 ea on the Gmax; whilst Coles in Qld had Hass at a piece price of $1 ea meanwhile selling the Greenskin Gmax Avos at $2.00 each.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Sunnybank Hills, Browns Plains and Cooparoo Displays

  • Coles stores had Greenskins Gmax Avos priced at $2 ea and Hass avocados priced at just $1.00ea. There was some poor quality fruit on show in a couple of the stores visited this week. Fruit found with packed dates of 18th June through to 22nd June which meant fruit was 7 to 11 days old.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.50 and 1kg I’m Perfect packs at $5.50 each.

Below: Aldi Sunnybank Hills, Browns Plains and Cooparoo Displays

  • Stores stocked either Purpleskin or Freshmax (Dorian Fruit) Hass @ $0.99ea and 6 piece Shepard nets at $4.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and of good quality with minimal bruising/damage - light nodule damage present on some lines.

  • Fruit on display was between 7 and 15 days old.

Below: Woolworths Sunnybank Hills, Browns Plains and Cooparoo Displays

  • Most stores had Greenskins Gmax Green skin avos @$2 ea and Hass avocados at $1.00ea on Wednesday - a presence of nodule damage on most lines in varying degrees.

    5 piece packs at $5.00/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed on special this week at $3.90ea.

Woolworths cooparoo had a great display - tinaroo falls fruit

Woolworths cooparoo had a great display - tinaroo falls fruit

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The weather in the past week had been relatively dry until Wednesday and Thursday which has seen 140 to 190mm fall across the two days around Innisfail and Tully whilst Mareeba and Walkamin districts have experienced just 1-3mm on a daily basis. The temperature range for this last week was a touch warmer with early temps experienced ranging 14.6 to 21.1C across the region; whilst daytime temperatures ranged between 23 to 27.1C. There has not been a great deal of change with respect to bunch age this week as the weather has been milder.

The national cut for last week was approximately 5% higher than the previous week at a total of 408K cartons, so supply can be said to be relatively steady by way of comparison. The national cut for this week is expected to be similar, within a range of 390-410K cartons. Our harvest team continue to be proactively cutting fruit that is slightly thinner in girth in order to prevent too much bronzing damage - we are continuing to grade out 10% with heavier marking. We are still harvesting fruit with 16-17 weeks bunch age.

Quality on shelf this week showed a degree of improvement with less minor skin marking overall, colour was generally good (some stores with too much of the semi-colour or “Eat Later” rather than the eat now on offer) though starting to see the presence of some dull bloom clusters throughout. Signage found on display in both Coles and Woolworths stores alerting their customers of the impact of cold winter temperatures on bananas during growth resulting in a dull bloom, yet fruit is still sweet to eat.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland is indicative of the continued shorter supply with cavendish retail tickets still at or above $4/kg though Aldi had pulled back their price point. The offer varied between the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $3.49/kg; Woolworths at $4.50/kg; whilst Coles had pulled back their ticket price to $4.00 - $4.50/kg in the stores visited in Qld this week. 

















RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Sunnybank Hills, Browns Plains and Cooparoo Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $4.00/kg, with Kids 750g banded clusters also at $4/kg. Quality across stores was quite mixed - a percentage with heavier skin marking; some clusters with dull appearance.

  • Stores had Winter Banana Update notices up for customers relating to dull bloom at this time of year.

  • Lady Fingers were $6.90/kg.

  • Old promo signage still on display at Browns Plains - former promo whereby every kg of bananas sold on Saturday 1st May Coles donated 10c to Little Athletics Australia.

Below: Aldi Sunnybank Hills, Browns Plains and Cooparoo Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $3.49/kg , again slight skin marking, rub and sap staining

  • Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $6.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Sunnybank Hills, Browns Plains and Cooparoo Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $4.00-4.50/kg depending upon store location. Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50 but minimal stock of this line found. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage and bronzing observed in some stores.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.90/kg - some clusters with rub marking. Red Tips ticketed at $5.50/kg as were organic bananas.

2021-Week 24

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

This week North Qld again supplied the majority of avocado production accounting for 53% of the total harvest of some 415,925 trays last week; followed by Central Qld with 45%;  and the remaining 2% came from combined regions of South Qld; Sunshine Coast and Tristate made a start.  This production figure represents a 3% increase on week prior and also a 9% increase on what was forecast for this period.  As of today, there is still a significant volume of fruit in all markets and we expect current pricing to be maintained.     All major supermarkets are selling premium Hass at $1- $1.20 per piece, which from a customer’s perspective continues represents astounding value. Avocado market sales for premium trays are in the range of $12 -$16/tray.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $5 --$10 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $5 --$25/ctn depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week is forecast to be in the vicinity of 353,000 - 360,000 trays and then is forecast to be in the vicinity of 370-380K/week in the following fortnight. 

Presentation in Qld stores this week was somewhat mixed in terms of quality; whilst there is a strong focus on the Hass variety as the main display, there was a continued presence of Greenskin’s Gmax avocado varietal in all three majors and in most instances the Gmax was at a higher ticket price than the Hass. What is missing at all stores during this time of price promotion is a percentage of the display that is ripe and ready for use - majority of fruit is firm and will still require another 2 to 3 days before it is ready to enjoy which in some cases will equate to lost sales opportunities, especially for the new category purchaser, who may be tempted by price; but do not know enough about the fruit.

This week we saw more activity amongst the Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets with an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $5.99 ea; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $4.50-$4.90 ea and 1kg I’m Perfect packs selling at $3.90ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $5.00 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at just $4.90 to $5.50/bag. Despite very keen pricing on most of these lines, there were a lot of packs marked down suggesting customers were opting for the larger loose options - hence orders for these lines have reduced.

Price has continued to be the driving factor whilst volumes are high. In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Greenskin Gmax Avos and Hass back at $0.99ea;  Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass and Greenskin Gmax Avos ticketed at $1.20 ea for Hass and $2.00 ea on the Gmax; whilst Coles in Qld had a multi buy deal of 3/$3.00 or a piece price of $1.20ea meanwhile selling the Greenskin Gmax Avos at $2.00 each.

Avocados Australia are continuing their marketing campaign with the airing of “Our Green Gold” television commercials through until the end of June which are being supported by social media, digital advertising and public relations activity. Remember each and everyone of as part of this vibrant and growing industry needs to be actively promoting consumption and ideas for use in whatever way we can.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Garden City, Chermside and Miranda (NSW) Displays

  • Coles stores had Greenskins Gmax Avos priced at $2 ea and Hass avocados priced at just $1.20ea or 3 for $3. There was some poor quality fruit on show in a couple of the stores visited this week which appeared to be a result of age.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $4.50 to $5.50 depending upon location.

Below: Aldi Garden City, Chermside and Miranda (NSW) Displays

  • Stores stocked NQ Greenskins GMax Avos @ $0.99 -$1.29ea, Hass @ $0.99 and 6 piece Shepard at $5.99.

  • All fruit was well stocked and of good quality with minimal bruising/damage - light nodule damage present on some lines.

  • Most lines packed between 1st and 8th June - meaning fruit on display was between 8 and 15 days old.

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Chermside and Miranda (NSW) Displays

  • Most stores had Greenskins Gmax Green skin avos @$2 ea and Hass avocados at $1.20-$2.00ea on Wednesday - a presence of nodule damage on most lines in varying degrees.

    5 piece packs at $5.50/ pack and 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at $4.90ea.

  • Most lines packed 27th May through to 3rd June meaning fruit was between 13 to 20 days old.

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The weather in the past week has seen a few drizzles of rain around Innisfail and Tully with falls of 8-12 mm across the week with dry weather experienced around Innisfail and Walkamin. The temperature range for this last week was a touch warmer with almost a 10C difference between the coolest and warmest early temps experienced ranging 12 to 21.5C throughout these regions and daytime temperature ranges of 22.1 to 29.6C. There has not been a great deal of change with respect to bunch age this week as the weather has been milder.

The national cut for last week was 1.13% higher than the previous week at 363K cartons so supply is again still a little tight. It is expected to be similar next week, within a range of 360-380K cartons. Our harvest team continue to be proactively cutting fruit that is slightly thinner in girth in order to prevent too much bronzing damage - we are continuing to grade out 10-15% with heavier marking. We are continuing to harvest fruit with 16-17 weeks bunch age and are also continuing to packing out approximately 10-12% of our crop as large fruit (200-220mm) currently.

Quality on shelf this week showed a degree of improvement with less minor skin marking overall, colour was generally good and bloom overall generally still bright though it won’t be long until the fruit is showing the effects of our cooler winter growing conditions.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland is indicative of the shorter supply with cavendish retail tickets still at or above $4/kg. The offer varied between the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $4.49/kg; Woolworths at $4.50/kg; whilst Coles had pulled back their ticket price to $4.00/kg in the stores visited in Qld and NSW this week. 
















RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Garden City, Chermside and Miranda(NSW) Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $4.00-$4.50/kg depending upon location, with Kids 750g packs also at $4 - $4.50/kg.

  • Lady Fingers were $7.90/kg across stores.

  • In stores visited this week colour development was better, still a presence of with scarring, bat marking, rub marking and sap staining evident. The odd cluster found with dull bloom.

Below: Aldi Garden City, Chermside and Miranda (NSW) Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $4.49/kg , again slight skin marking, rub and sap staining

  • Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $6.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Garden City, Chermside and Miranda(NSW) Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $4.50-4.90/kg depending upon store location. Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $2.50 but minimal stock of this line found. Displays were generally well presented with most stores utilizing the new bright shelf strips which highlight for customer stock that is ready to eat now and stock that will be ready in a couple of days - a little minor neck damage and skin scarring observed.

  • Chermside had some fruit that was quite dull and even had the very early stages of crown end mould which suggests this fruit is old.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.90/kg - a little bronzing evident on some clusters.

2021-Week 22

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

This week we see Central Qld take the lead in avocado production accounting for 53% of the total harvest of some 314,471 trays last week; followed by North Qld with 45%;  and the remaining 2% came from combined regions of South Qld and Sunshine Coast.  This production figure represents a 34% decrease on week prior and a 15% increase on what was forecast for this period. This is as a direct result of North Qld growers electing not to pick as a result of the volume that was and is already in the market and the impact that has had on price - as stated last week we had been hearing rumours that a number of agents had instructed growers to stop picking until some of the volume had cleared and this seems to have been actioned. As of today, there is still a significant volume of fruit in all markets and we expect current pricing to be maintained. We have seen trays advertised in Victoria this week at just $5.00/tray by independent retailers.     Coles and Aldi are both selling Hass at $1 per piece, Woolies were at $1.50ea for Australian Hass on Wednesday when we visited stores and by the end of the week, they too had joined the $1 a piece race - from a customer’s perspective this represents astounding value but it is yet to be seen if sales increase significantly. Avocado market sales for premium trays are in the range of $12 -$16/tray.  Pricing for class one fruit (main sales) is ranging $5 --$10 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $5 --$30/ctn depending upon grade, quality and count size. 

The national production of Hass this week was forecast to be in the vicinity of 355,000 - 360,000 trays and then is forecast to lift to 362K and then 370K per week in the following fortnight and yet there has been a further increase to 403K trays which follows the week of lighter harvest in the far North, so the situation is really no better with heavy supplies expected for the next few weeks. What is important during times of heavy supply is ensuring we haves sales for all premium lines which we have secured and perhaps even more important, making sure quality within the premium lines is of a high standard as there is plenty of choice and lots of offers on price being made to the chains.

Presentation in Qld stores this week was mixed in terms of quality; whilst there is a strong on the Hass variety as the main display, there was a continued presence of Greenskin’s Gmax avocado varietal in all three majors and in most instances the Gmax was at a higher ticket price than the Hass. What the specials on Hass this week have highlighted at store level is a presence of older fruit, some quite ripe and many with nodule damage, rots, some dehydration and sun bleaching as you will see in the images captured.

This week we saw more activity amongst the Prepack formulations on offer by all major supermarkets with an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets on special at $4.99 ea; Coles had their 5 piece pack at $5.50 ea and 1kg I’m Perfect packs selling at $6.90ea; whilst Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $6.50 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at just $5.50/bag. There is a heavy supply of small fruit for these prepacks within the supply chain so these prices are expected to come back further as are the sell prices to the chains on these lines as you will see in the confirmed pricing below for this coming week.

It has definitely been a week of one where price has been the driving factor! In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Greenskin Gmax Avos either $0.99 or $1.49 depending upon location and Hass at an advertised, catalogue featured piece price of $0.99ea;  Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass and Greenskin Gmax Avos ticketed at $1.50 ea for Hass and $2.00 ea on the Gmax; whilst Coles in Qld went out strong with radio advertising of the Hass promo at $1 per piece meanwhile selling the Greenskin Gmax Avos at $2.00 each.

Avocados Australia are continuing their marketing campaign with the airing of “Our Green Gold” television commercials through until the end of June which are being supported by social media, digital advertising and public relations activity. Keep a look out for anything Green and Gold that avocados could declare governance over or at least be associated with! We need as an industry to be actively promoting consumption and ideas for use in whatever way we can.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Indooroopilly, Garden City and Kenmore Displays

  • Coles stores had Greenskins Gmax Avos priced at $2 ea and Hass avocados priced at just $1.00ea. There was some poor quality fruit on show in a couple of the stores visited this week which appeared to be a result of age.

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $5.50

Below: Aldi Indooroopilly, Garden City and Kenmore Displays

  • Stores stocked NQ Greenskins GMax Avos @ $0.99 - $1.49ea, Hass @ $0.99 and 6 piece Shepard at $4.99. With Hass at $0.99 ea these were on promo in the Aldi weekly catalogue and featured in two locations within the stores.

  • All fruit was well stocked and of good quality with minimal bruising/damage - odd piece found with bruise/body rot or sun blemish.

Below: Woolworths Indooroopilly, Garden City and Kenmore Displays

  • Most stores had Greenskins Gmax Green skin avos @$2 ea and Hass avocados at %1.50-$2.00ea on Wednesday - a presence of nodule damage on most lines of hass to varying degrees. By Thursday Woolworths had also pulled back their ticket price.

  • 5 piece packs at $6.50/ pack

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The weather in the past week has seen more rain fall across all North Qld growing regions from last Monday to this Thursday - the heaviest falls across this day range include 75mm around Tully; 64mm Innisfail; 43 mm Mareeba and between 2-5mm/day at Walkamin. The temperature range has also continued to cool with morning temperatures ranging 12.5 to 19.1C and daytime temperature ranges of 22.0 to 25.9C. With the cooling of the seasonal weather this slows the growth rate and pushes the average bunch age out as fruit takes a little longer to form and reach maturity. When field temperatures drop below 10C is when we normally start seeing underpeel discolouration which results in fruit appearing somewhat dull - this is as a result of temporary sap flow cessation in the colder growing conditions.

The national cut for last week was just shy of 400K cartons so supply is relatively steady. It is expected to be similar next week within a range of 390-420K cartons. Our harvesting team continue to be proactively cutting fruit that is slightly thinner in girth in order to prevent too much bronzing damage - we are currently seeing in the vicinity of 10-15% with heavier marking being graded out. With the cooling of overnight and morning temperatures and slightly shorter days we will see production slow somewhat in the coming weeks - we are now harvesting fruit with 16-17 weeks bunch age. We know when we are packing out more large fruit (200-220mm) that winter is upon us - we are packing somewhere close to 10% of our crop as large currently.  Our packing crew in the shed have been vigilant in continuing to grade out excessive bat scratching and visible bronzing defects to ensure fruit is within spec on arrival to our customers.

Quality on shelf this week was again varied - some lines presented very well with minimal marking with good colour and bloom; whilst others were dull, with evidence of bronzing, sap staining, rub marking, neck damage and of course still a little bat/bird marking as you see in the photos below.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland is indicative of the shorter supply with cavendish retail tickets still all above $4/kg. The offer varied between the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $4.49/kg; Woolworths at $4.50/kg and Coles offering fruit at $4.50 to $4.90/kg dependent upon the store locality.















RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Indooroopilly, Garden City and Kenmore Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $4.50-$4.90/kg depending upon location, with Kids 750g packs also at $4.90/kg.

  • Lady Fingers were $7.90/kg across stores.

  • In stores visited this week colour development was better, still a presence of with scarring, bat marking, rub marking and sap staining evident. The odd cluster found with dull bloom.

Below: Aldi Indooroopilly, Garden City and Kenmore Displays

  • Stores had Cavendish @ $4.49/kg apart from the Garden City store which had them priced at $4.29, again slight skin marking, rub and sap staining

  • Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $6.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Indooroopilly, Garden City and Kenmore Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $4.50-4.90/kg depending upon store location. Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $4.50 but minimal stock of this line found. Displays were generally well presented with fruit that had a cleaner and in good condition - a litter minor neck damage and skin scarring observed. Howe Farming fruit was on display at the Kenmore store with a stack of cartons on the floor in front of the display which can impact customers reach when trying to select product.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.90/kg - a little bronzing evident on some clusters.

2021-Week 21

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QUICKLINKS

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

North Qld  is not ready to let go of the lead in avocado production accounting for 56% of the total harvest of some 473,181 trays last week; followed by Central Qld with 43%;  and the remaining 1% came from combined regions of South Qld and Sunshine Coast.  This has been the biggest production week in North Qld’s avocado growing history to date and it represents a 3% increase on week prior and a 22% increase on what was forecast for this period.  With the surge in volume of fruit in all markets, pricing has accordingly crashed and is expected to be in the teens for both premium and class one if not by late this week, then definitely by early next.    Avocado market sales for premium trays last week were in the range of $20 -$24/tray. This is expected to be $14-$18/tray week starting 31st May. Pricing for class one fruit last week (main sales) has been ranging $13 --$17 per tray; whilst the bulk market has been experiencing prices for premium in the range of $30 --$40/ctn towards the end of this week and for class one and 2nd bulks $10 --$18/ctn. 

Whilst a number of growers from what we have heard elected to not pick last week, or in some cases were told not to by their agents this is not unfortunately fix the problem. The situation the industry finds itself in is one that has been building over a number of weeks with a large volume of fruit stockpiled in the system and the heavy pick the week prior has exacerbated the unstable pricing situation we find ourselves in. At this time, the fruit is in a better position hanging on the tree rather than in a tray, so if you do need to pick, go steady until we see if some of the super specials on offer will help clear of some of the existing volume. Having said that, Rock Ridge Fresh has been and continues to run tidy as we provide our major customers with a volume that we intend to supply for the coming week and try to keep as close as possible to harvesting just what is needed.

Presentation in Qld stores this week was good with a greater focus on the Hass variety as the main display, but we have also seen the Greenskin Gmax avocado varietal in all three majors this week - displays seen of this variety to date do not have any consumer information pertaining to how this variety ripens or what it looks like as it ripens.

Prepack formulations continue for be a value offer and an opportunity to move greater volumes in a single purchase. Aldi were offering their 6 piece nets at $6.99 ea; Woolworths had the 5 pack on offer for $6.50 - $7.50 and the 1kg Odd Bunch ticketed at just $6 to $7/bag depending upon location; whilst Coles had both their 5 piece pack $6.50 ea and 1kg I’m Perfect packs selling at $8.90ea.

In terms of Hass retail pricing in Qld last week shelf prices were as follows:  Aldi Qld had Greenskin Gmax Avos at $1.29 ea and Hass priced at a competitive $1.29 per single piece;  Woolworths Qld had prominently positioned instore displays of Hass and Greenskin Gmax Avos ticketed at $1.50 ea; whilst Coles in Qld continued their offer of Greenskin Gmax Avos and Hass at  $1.50 each or 4 for $5.00.  Coles Avocado special was supported with initial radio and press advertising in SE Qld, NSW and Victoria.

SUPERMARKET & MARKET PRICING FOR NEXT WEEK  

RETAIL SNAPSHOTS OF AVOCADOS

Below: Coles Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Sunnybank Displays

  • Coles stores had Greenskins Gmax Avos and Hass avocado varieties priced at $1.50 or 4 for $5.00 multibuy offer

  • Stores had 5 piece packs at $6.50

Below: Aldi Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Drewvale Displays

  • Stores stocked NQ Greenskins GMax Avos @ $1.29ea, Hass @ $1.29 and 6 piece Shepard at $6.99

  • All fruit was well stocked and of good quality with minimal bruising/damage - odd piece found with bruise/body rot or sun blemish.

  • Fruit packed 14th and 15th May meaning stock is 11 to 12 days in age from harvest date.

Below: Woolworths Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Parkinson Displays

  • Most stores had Greenskins Gmax Green skin avos and Hass avocados at $1.50ea - a presence of nodule damage on most lines of hass to varying degrees.

  • 5 piece packs at $6.50/ pack

BANANA OVERVIEW

SUPPLY UPDATE

The national cut for last week pushed just over 400,543 cartons which was an increase of 6.89% or some 25,827 cartons on the week prior. The weather in the past week has seen rainfall in a number of regions across all North Qld - the heaviest falls ranging 10 to 24mm per day in the last week particularly in Innisfail and Tully; 5mm per day in Walkamin and isolated showers around Mareeba. The temperatures have continued to be milder with morning temperatures ranging 15 to 21.2C and daytime temperature ranges of 20.6 to 27.5C. With the cooling of the seasonal weather this slows the growth rate and pushes the average bunch age out, we are now harvesting at 16 weeks and expect this to push out to 17 weeks in another week or so. National production is expected to be within the region of 390 to 415,000 cartons this coming week.

Whilst there is still a presence of bat marking, it is significantly less and we are pleased to say that finally we believe we have turned a corner towards better quality fruit. The harvesting team have been proactively cutting fruit slightly thinner in order to prevent bronzing damage and as already stated average bunch age is now at 16 weeks. With the cooling of overnight and morning temperatures and slightly shorter days we will see production slow somewhat in the coming weeks. Our packing crew in the shed have been vigilant in continuing to grade out excessive bat scratching and visible bronzing defects to ensure fruit is within spec on arrival to our customers.

Quality on shelf this week was varied - some lines presented very well with minimal marking and good colour; whilst others were dull, with evidence of bronzing, sap staining, rub marking, neck damage and of course still a little bat/bird marking as you do doubt see in the photos included.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland is indicative of the shorter supply we have experienced in relation to cavendish with all majors on sell ticket price on or above $4/kg. The offer varied between the major supermarkets with Aldi offering fruit at $4.49/kg; Woolworths at $4.00 to $4.90/kg and Coles offering fruit at $4.30 to $4.90/kg dependent upon the store locality. 














RETAIL SNAPSHOT OF BANANAS

Below: Coles Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Sunnybank Displays

  • Cavendish was priced at $4.50-$4.90/kg depending upon location, with Kids 750g packs also at $4.90/kg and Red Tips at $5/kg.

  • Lady Fingers were $7.90/kg across stores.

  • Quite a lot of stock at the stores visited this week a percentage of which was of semi colour condition; some clusters with scarring, rub marking and sap staining evident. Bloom varied, some clusters quite dull in appearance.

Below: Aldi Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Drewvale Displays

  • All stores had Cavendish @ $4.49/kg, again skin marking, rub and sap staining with a percentage of the fruit having a dull appearance and being backward

  • Lady Finger bananas were priced @ $6.99/kg

Below: Woolworths Sunnybank Hills, Garden City and Parkinson Displays

  • Woolworths had Cavendish bananas priced at $4.50-4.90/kg depending upon store location. Lil Sana kids banded clusters at $4.50. Displays generally presented better and fruit was cleaner with better condition - there was a degree of skin marking, little bat/bird damage and some semi-condition fruit.

  • Lady fingers were priced at $7.90/kg