QUICKLINKS

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BANANA OVERVIEW

🍌SUPPLY UPDATE

Banana industry transport figures for fruit harvested in Week 27 saw a result just marginally smaller than Week 26 production at 372,684 cartons nationally. The weather patterns for the last week in the far north have seen early A.M. temperatures fall within a range of 13.6 - 20.7 C across all major growing regions, a touch warmer than last week; and day time temperatures have also remained warmer ranging 21.5 - 26.3 C but with overcast skies and rainfall. Most of the North Qld banana growing regions had rain this week with Mareeba and Walkamin experiencing falls of 0.8-5.3mm and 131 - 182mms fell across Innisfail and Tully regions. With overcast skies and cool temperatures overnight, we will continue to see the impact on fruit bloom and also resulting in slower growth rates pushing bunch age out.

Retail ticket pricing in Queensland for cavendish bananas has remained stable this week with pricing as follows: Aldi’s banana ticket price at $3.99/kg; Woolies offered fruit at a ticket price of $4.00/kg; and Coles were offering fruit at $4.00/kg in the stores visited. Banana quality has started to be impacted by the activity of birds/bats across the growing regions. This shouldn’t come as a surprise at this time of year, with the seasonality of plants and colder weather, normal flowering/blossoming plants are less productive and regrettably the birds and bats are drawn to our banana plants. Whilst the practice of bagging helps to protect the fruit from scratching to some extent, it does not provide full protection. Another shortcoming of winter is that with the cooler/overcast days we expect to seeing a dulling of fruit bloom, this is noticeable in stores, to varying degrees, and can be expected through until at least November.

BANANA SNAPSHOT

Left to Right: Aldi; Coles and Woolworths Cavendish Displays

AVOCADO OVERVIEW

🥑SUPPLY UPDATE

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

· Week 27, 2024 - The industry saw a 3.63% decrease on the previous week’s harvest with a total of 404,437 tray equivalents harvested and transported (approx 15,000 less tray equivalents) on Week 26, 2024 production. The national harvest included Hass variety supplying 399,730 tray equivalents along with 4,707 trays (inc GMax) of assorted other varieties in this week’s reported figures. It is worthwhile noting that of the 404,437 tray equivalents: some 124K came in the form of bulks for prepacking and processing; 55K were exported leaving 224K for domestic sale.

Production across the country saw North Queensland in the lead in production accounting for 49.67% of the total volume, Central Queensland accounting for a further 42.44%, then trickles from Southern Queensland accounting for 4.26%, Central NSW with 1.42% and finally WA/NT, Sunshine Coast and TNR for 1.21%; 0.69% and 0.32% respectively.

· It is forecast that a total of some 409,000 tray equivalents will be despatched this week (Week 28) nationally. This figure can be broken down by variety with the Hass to contribute approximately 409,000 tray equivalents of this total and some 100 tray equivalents of other varietals (inc GMax) of this total. Production figures for the next two to three period after this week are forecast to be reducing in volume from 396K down to 330K tray equivalents per week, including bulks/export/domestic volumes.

In terms of Avocado retail in the major supermarkets in Qld and Adelaide this week we saw shelf prices as follows - Aldi Hass this week with shelf tickets at $1.79 each; Coles Qld stores visited had Hass avos at $1.90ea, and Woolworths Qld with Purpleskin and Simpson supplied Hass at $2.00ea and GMAX (Qld stores only) avos (larger sizes 14/16/18) at $2.90ea. A number of the Gmax this week were found to have lenticel damage and were starting to show signs of breakdown.

AVOCADO SNAPSHOT

Left to Right: Woolworths Hass; Aldi Hass and Coles Hass Avocados in Queensland stores

STOCK IN STORES

QUICKLINKS

🍌Bananas at Woolworths

🥑Avocados at Woolworths

BANANAS AT ALDI

ALDI CARINDALE

Cavendish Bananas priced at $3.99/kg - fruit with good colour. Some skin marking and neck injuries still the main find.
No Havana bananas again.

ALDI SUNNYBANK HILLS

A display of Cavendish Bananas ticketed at $3.99/kg - a presence of bat/bird damage, sap stains and a few cuts and bruising observed. A large portion of this display was slightly green.
Havana bananas at this store this week, $4.99/kg - these could have been better quality.

ALDI BROWNS PLAINS

A very full display of Cavendish Bananas ticketed at $3.99/kg - a low percentage of green tinged fruit on the display.
Havana bananas at $4.99ea.

BANANAS AT COLES

COLES CARINDALE

Cavendish on display $4.00/kg, most with a green tinge, some a little dull.
Kids packs priced at $4.00ea.
Red Tips at $5.50/kg and Lady Fingers $7.90/kg - a few clusters with light bat/bird damage.

COLES SUNNYBANK HILLS

Cavendish on display $4.00/kg. Kids packs priced at $4.00ea. A neat display though some varietals needed topping up.
Red Tips at $5.50/kg. Lady Fingers $7.90/kg.

COLES BROWNS PLAINS

Cavendish on display $4.00/kg with good colour and bloom. Kids packs priced at $4.00ea. Defects found: neck injuries, bruising and skin marking.
No Red Tips. Lady Fingers $7.90/kg. Organic at $6.90/kg.

BANANAS AT WOOLWORTHS

WOOLWORTHS CARINDALE

Cavendish priced at $4.00/kg. Bloom was varied with some bright hued and others dull - evidenced by some colder growing temperatures currently. Kids packs at $2.50ea.
Lady Fingers $8.00/kg.

WOOLWORTHS SUNNYBANK HILLS

The display of Cavendish priced at $4.00/kg. Good colour.
Lady Fingers $8.00/kg - some skinny fingers, and Red Tips $5.50/kg. Organic at $6.00/kg.

WOOLWORTHS BROWNS PLAINS

Cavendish bananas priced at $4.00/kg. Well presented - good colour, only minimal neck injuries amongst this display.
Kids packs at $2.50ea also featured on an off-location display perhaps as part of a back to school lunch box offering with other snack fruits all on same promo price point.
Lady Fingers at $8.00/kg and Red Tipped at $5.50/kg.
Organic at $6.90/kg.

AVOCADOS AT ALDI