QUICKLINKS

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BANANA OVERVIEW

🍌SUPPLY UPDATE

Banana national figures for week 38 have decreased compared to week 37. Week 38 saw a total of 389,799 cartons harvested and transported nationally, a 56,000 decrease in volume or 12.5% less on week 37. Weather patterns in the major growing regions have seen less rain and warmer temps this week. Temperatures in the far north have seen early A.M. temperatures fall within a range of 13.0 - 21.5 C across all major growing regions; and day time temperatures ranging 27.0 - 32.7 C. warmer than previous weeks. Rainfall in North Qld banana growing regions this week saw Mareeba and Walkamin experience 0mm of rain; and across Innisfail and Tully regions we saw also 0mm of rain this week. Central Markets have been rather messy over the last two weeks with the flush of fruit and falling prices, but with a lighter cut in the last week, this has provided a slight reprieve, so that by late this week, we were starting to see the market tidy up a little.

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. Independents were selling fruit from $1.99/kg up to $3.99/kg in the centres visited.

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 38, 2024 - The industry experienced a 11.95% increase in production on the previous week’s harvest with a total of 489,753 tray equivalents harvested and transported (approx 50,000 more tray equivalents) on Week 37, 2024 production.

Production across the country saw WA/NT now definitely take the lead in production - accounting for 40.19% of the total volume, followed by Tristate accounting for a further 18.24%, then NZ accounting for 16.11%, CNSW with 14.54% and finally Southern Queensland and TNR with harvests accounting for 8.12% and 1.76% respectively of the total production for the week. In relation to the almost 490K tray equivalents this week approximately 70K were in the form of bulks/processing; a further 36K were exported which left 383K for domestic sale and consumption.

· It is forecast that a total of some 449,000 tray equivalents will be despatched this week (Week 39) nationally, with the majority of this obviously being hass. Production for the next three week period thereafter, is expected to fall within the range of 437 to 464K tray equivalents per week. We saw Market pricing this week came back a little, still seeing good quality premium fruit fetching up to $40/$42/tray though there was a softening and main sales seemed to be in the range of $36-$38/tray; whilst class one fruit has also come back a few dollars with trays selling $26-$30 - this has in part been caused by a slowing of the market with school holidays in progress in Queensland coinciding with an increase in production.

In terms of Avocado retailing in the major supermarkets in Qld this week we saw stable shelf prices as follows - Aldi’s Hass this week shelf tickets at $2.49 each; Coles Qld stores visited had Hass avos at $2.50ea, and Woolworths Qld with Hass at $2.50ea. Queensland is coming to the end of the two week September school holiday break - sales during this period have been somewhat slow as has been replicated in the market system, so as we head back to school for the last term of 2024 and head into much warmer weather, we expect to see sales lift. Conversely with the AFL Grand Final this weekend, we see the commencement of the Victorian school holidays whereby we expect a quietening of market sales in this state, for the next two week period. GO THE LIONS!

Or is it because they are sick of being squeezed??? We have to remind all our customers to gently press around the stem end to determine if an avocado is ready to eat, by squeezing the body we can cause damage to the flesh, in the form of bruising. Colour is also an excellent visual clue as to the condition of the fruit, a dull purple black skin colour is generally associated with a ripe piece.

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 SUNNYBANK HILLS

Cavendish Bananas priced at $3.99/kg. Some with minor bruising and some with dull colour, better quality then the last few weeks.
Havana Bananas at $3.99/kg - needed restocking.

ALDI LOGANHOLME

A full display of Cavendish Bananas ticketed at $3.99/kg - light skin marking and some green fruit.
Havana bananas at this store this week, ticketed at $3.99/kg - good colour!

ALDI BROWNS PLAINS

Cavendish Bananas priced at $3.99/kg. Some with minor bruising and some quite over-ripe.
No Havana Bananas.

BANANAS AT COLES

COLES SUNNYBANK HILLS

Cavendish on display $4.00/kg. Kids packs at $4.00/kg. Mostly light green fruit.
Red Tips $5.50/kg, Lady Fingers $6.90/kg and Organic at $6.50/kg.

COLES BROWNS PLAINS

Cavendish on display $4.00/kg. Kids packs at $4.00/kg. Relatively good mix of ready to eat and green fruit.
Organic at $6.00/kg. Red Tips at $5.50/kg.

COLES LOGANHOLME

Cavendish on display $4.49/kg. Kids packs at $4.49/kg. Relatively good mix of ready to eat and green fruit.
Organic at $6.50/kg. Red Tips at $5.50/kg. Lady Fingers at $6.90/kg.

BANANAS AT WOOLWORTHS

WOOLWORTHS SUNNYBANK HILLS

Cavendish priced at $4.00/kg. Appropriately positioned in ‘Eat Now’ and ‘Eat Later’. Kids packs at $3.50ea.
Red Tips at $5.50/kg. Lady Fingers at $8.00/kg. Organic at $6.00/kg.

WOOLWORTHS LOGANHOLME

The display of Cavendish priced at $4.00/kg. Appropriately displayed. Kids packs at $3.50ea.
Red Tips at $5.50/kg, Lady Fingers at $8.00/kg and Organic at $6.00/kg.

WOOLWORTHS BROWNS PLAINS

Cavendish priced at $4.00/kg. Appropriately positioned in ‘Eat Now’ and ‘Eat Later’. Kids packs at $3.50ea.
Red Tips at $5.50/kg. Lady Fingers at $8.00/kg. Organic at $6.00/kg.

AVOCADOS AT ALDI