Talking Avocados Summer 2025

Summer 2025 VOLUME 35 N O4

Grower events 2025 calendar New Export Project underway Hort Innovation’s Venture Fund

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is published by: Avocados Australia Limited ABN 87 105 853 807 Unit 13, Level 1, Fresh Centre, 385 Sherwood Road, Rocklea, Q 4106 PO Box 134, Brisbane Market Q 4106 Ph: +61 7 3846 6566 | Email: admin2@avocado.org.au | Web: www.avocado.org.au

Chief Executive Officer

Editor in Chief

John Tyas +61 7 3846 6566 j.tyas@avocado.org.au

John Tyas

Managing Editor

Directors

Anna Petrou Email: TalkingAvocados@avocado.org.au Ph: +61 7 3846 6566 PO Box 134, Brisbane Market Q 4106

Matt Kleyn Chair, North Queensland m.kleyn@avocado.org.au Lucy Philip Deputy Chair, Central Queensland/Sunshine Coast 0499 798 039 l.philip@avocado.org.au

Talking Avocados published quarterly: Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer

Eric Carney Central Queensland/Sunshine Coast 0403 917 769 e.carney@avocado.org.au

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Lawrence Masasso North Queensland l.masasso@avocado.org.au

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Brad Rodgers Western Australia 0412 912 764 b.rodgers@avocado.org.au

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Duncan Wells Western Australia d.wells@avocado.org.au

Avocados Australia Limited PO Box 134, Brisbane Market Q 4106 Email: TalkingAvocados@avocado.org.au Ph: +61 7 3846 6566

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DISCLAIMER: This publication is produced upon the understanding that no responsibility is accepted by Avocados Australia Limited (ABN 87 105 853 807), its Directors and Officers or the Editor for any opinions, claims, statements made and views expressed in any edition of Talking Avocados.

Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation) and Avocados Australia Limited make no representations and expressly disclaims all warranties (to the extent permitted by law) about the accuracy, completeness, or currency of information in Talking Avocados. Reliance on any information provided by Hort Innovation and Avocados Australia Limited is entirely at your own risk. Hort Innovation and Avocados Australia Limited are not responsible for, and will not be liable for, any loss, damage, claim, expense, cost (including legal costs) or other liability arising in any way, including from any Hort Innovation, Avocados Australia Limited, or other person’s negligence or otherwise from your use or non-use of Talking Avocados or from reliance on information contained in the material or that Hort Innovation or Avocados Australia Limited provide to you by any other means.

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Talking Avocados is published through the National avocado industry communications program (AV21004), funded by Hort Innovation, using the avocado research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Wherever you see this logo, the initiative is part of the Hort Innovation Avocado Fund. Like this publication itself, it has been funded by Hort Innovation using the avocado levy and, in the case of R&D, with contributions from the Australian Government. Some projects also involve funding from additional sources.

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Contents 4 Chair’s Perspective 5 CEO’s Report 6 Around Australia 10 News Extension News

10 A Look Ahead: Grower Events in 2025

Data News 16 Avocados Australia 2024 OrchardInfo Tree Census Report 18 Global Export Trade Update

Export News 20 Introducing the Avocado Trade Development and Market Access Project (2024–2029) 25 Market Access Update

General News 26 Avocados Australia signs $300 million purchase agreement with Shanghai Markets 29 Avocados Australia co-hosts Study Mission delegates from Sichuan, China 31 Avocados Australia’s two new directors 32 Overseas retailers & importers take part in WA Inbound Trade Mission

WHS News 38 Working in severe weather – Quick Tips

Biosecurity News 39 On-Farm Biosecurity Adoption in the Australian Avocado Industry: Focus Groups to Identify Barriers and Next Steps

43 Marketing Update

43 Australian Avocado Domestic Marketing Program: An Update 46 Australian Avocado International Marketing Program - An Update

48 Research and Development

48 Benchmarking Program unveils Report on 2023 Growing Season 51 Donovan’s Avocados – Fruit Robustness Revealed in Challenge Testing 53 Are there other Phytophthoras causing serious disease in the orchards?

57 High-density avocado production under shade netting 61 Alternative pollinators for avocados 65 Exciting new fly pollination agents 68 Snapshots – International Avocado Research Update

70 International News

33 Sad Farewell to Hayleigh Dawson

70 New Zealand horticulture exports set to reach record $8 billion by 2025

34 Hort Innovation launch Hort Innovation Venture Fund

70 New sustainable technology promises to optimize Chilean agro-exports

35 Hort Innovation’s Annual Investment Plan for 2024/25

70 Chile’s avocado exports set to increase by almost 30%

36 Varroa Mite (Varroa destructor) Management Update COVER: Comprehensive program of Grower extension events happening in 2025.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

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CHAIR’S PERSPECTIVE Matt Kleyn, Avocados Australia Limited

Welcome to the first issue of Talking Avocados magazine for 2025.

I have no doubt this will be another busy year for us all. Late last year the Board met to go through Avocados Australia’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan and ensure that all key areas were being addressed and that there were no gaps. This year we will continue to focus on the four strategic priorities: 1) Increase domestic consumption of Australian avocados to at least 150,000t by 2026 at profitable farm gate prices; 2) Increase export volumes; 3) Improve industry productivity and quality to increase global competitiveness; and 4) Optimise the operating environment to support a sustainable and profitable industry.

In terms of increasing domestic consumption, Avocados Australia reported in our Facts at a Glance 2023/24 Report that it increased by 25% over the last 3 years to 4.94kg per person. The aim is to increase this year on year. According to the same report, Australian avocados’ exports increased by 600% over the last 3 years. Of the 150,913 tonnes produced last year, 21,979 tonnes of this were exported to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, India and other countries such as the United Arab Emirates.

Avocados Australia’s 2025 China market access efforts will build on the work achieved in 2024. In November last year we called on key government stakeholders for their support and assistance with prioritizing the Australian avocados China market access negotiation process. See the Market Access Update article in this magazine for more information.

In the Australian Avocado Exports Weekly Report to 24 November 2024 total exports were 4,924 tonnes which was 46% below the previous year’s figure. However, exports to India and Thailand at that time were ramping up. If we are to increase exports year on year, we need all growers and exporters committing to export programs, I strongly recommend that growers look to export at least 25% of your total volume. This will help you and every other grower. If you don’t do any, you are leaving someone else of similar size the burden of needing to export 50%, twice as much. Please pull your wait and help us export. If your marketer doesn’t do this, please find another one for that portion of your crop. Once you have selected a percentage, please export that volume no matter what the prices do. You should achieve prices equivalent or better than the domestic price for the same size. If we don’t supply any fruit to our export markets when domestic prices are high, our export markets will be closed or harder to access when domestic prices are lower. We need exports and it is important to maintain our export partner relationships. To do this we need to provide a consistent supply of quality Australian avocados.

All growers and exporters should attend the Export Regional Forums happening this year in their regions. The Export Regional Forums are both beneficial and essential for

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CHAIR’S PERSPECTIVE

Australian growers. They provide inside information you won’t be able to easily find elsewhere plus tips and insights, such as consumer behavior in our overseas markets and information about our competitors.

This year we have a full calendar of extension events planned, starting with the Regional Forums. See Bridie Carr’s extension article in this issue for the details and make sure you claim the dates in your diaries! I would very much like it if every grower attended our regional forums and export forums. If you do not usually attend these events, please let me know why as I would like to fix this. Please let me know by email: m.kleyn@avocado.org.au.

Late last year the OrchardInfo Report was finalised. This includes the results of the tree census. Thank you to everyone that contributed data to this as it was very important to gain an accurate picture of the total number of trees in the ground particularly in view of the number of trees being removed during the reporting period. Some of you have contributed to mapping your farms and blocks for our biosecurity preparedness, this is important work. Please note this information is not for us to share, but instead to be ready should a biosecurity outbreak of some type occur. If this happened at a given point, we would be required to identify and contact the owners of all avocados within a given radius. It is for this purpose only that this information is being sought.

Fruit quality continues to be a priority for Avocados Australia, and you will find two excellent articles in this issue outlining results from recent monitoring. Also, look out for the retail quality results articles that will appear in our fortnightly enewsletter, Guacamole. Fruit quality is important whether the fruit is heading to the domestic or overseas markets as we need to give consumers positive experiences. It is important we each understand that if a consumer has a poor experience, they are likely to stop buying avocados for weeks. Let’s make sure we do all we can to stop this happening.

If we are wanting to stabilise supply, it is important to accept that our customers want and need a constant quantity of avocados. If we can do this, we will help stabilise and possibly lift prices. Please try to listen to your marketers and avoid picking madly when prices are high. This will only force them to drop. Please communicate with your marketers to fill their orders and nothing or very little more. If you pick more, they will only be stored in a cold room somewhere waiting for an order. Time will run out and they will be dumped on the market as per last year dropping the price dramatically.

Particularly for the fruit you picked without orders as it is reaching the end of its shelf life. This is why the prices dropped by $10 in one week early last year.

That’s all for now. I hope you had a safe and merry Christmas.

I wish you all well for the year ahead.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

CEO’S REPORT

John Tyas, Avocados Australia Limited

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the summer issue of Talking Avocados magazine.

We have a full year planned. 2025 promises to be a busy and exciting year, with over 25 grower-focused events scheduled nationwide thanks to the Avocado Industry Development and Extension project (AV23010). As Bridie Carr says in her article, each event is designed with direct input from regional growers, facilitated by the project’s regional leads. The Extension projects’ 2025 calendar is published in a full page in this issue of the magazine. I encourage all growers, their orchard managers and their team members to attend these events as you will gain valuable insights and have the chance to ask questions from the team directly. The practical workshops planned for this year aim to provide hands-on experience for those who take part.

Places are limited so you will need to get in early to secure a spot so look out for Avocados Australia’s email notices for the registration details or you can go to our website to the ‘Up-Coming Events’ webpage and register from there (avocado.org.au/events/upcoming-events/).

This year’s Avo Connections - our annual forum for the industry - will take place at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and we have a great line-up of speakers planned. I will be presenting an industry update and I look forward to seeing you all there. Avo Connections has become an important event for our industry, and I thank Hayleigh Dawson for her assistance with Avo Connections this year.

I’d like to reinforce that all growers and exporters should be committing to and building on your export programs this year, as this is key in seeing the industry achieve sustainable returns domestically and internationally. In this magazine you will find an interesting article providing a global export update by Wayne Prowse. Australian growers and exporters need to continue to provide a reliable supply to our export markets because if we don’t the likes of suppliers’ from Africa and Latin America, with more than sufficient supply to replace Australian avocados, will walk in and take our share of these markets.

For those of you who don’t know, the Avocados Australia Board has two new directors, Duncan Wells (WA) and Lawrence Masasso (NQ). An article in this magazine provides a brief introduction to each of them and their contact details. I encourage growers in these regions to contact them and introduce yourselves, email Lawrence at l.masasso@avocado.org.au and Duncan at d.wells@avocado.org.au.

In the R&D section of this magazine you will find an article from the Avocado industry benchmarking project (AV22004).

They present some of their findings and this project, funded by Hort Innovation using the avocado research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government, will also share regionally specific information back to industry.

With respect to keeping your orchard workers safe with the increased likelihood of severe weather events make sure you put in place measures to manage the risks to health and safety. Each state or territory has a workplace health and safety authority that can provide advice for workplaces experiencing severe weather. Also see the article in this issue for useful information and resources.

I’d like to remind you all that this magazine is produced by Avocados Australia to keep the Australian avocado industry informed of the activities, news and R&D happening of benefit to the industry, so it is YOUR magazine. A survey is currently underway seeking your opinions of our overall industry communications and we would love to hear from you all. If you haven’t completed our survey yet please take a moment now to complete it. Use the QR code provided or enter this short link address into your web browser: https://bit.ly/3ZlHu98 - those who complete the survey have the chance to win 1 of 2 vouchers worth $150 each.

I wish you all the best for the year ahead.

The new Avocado Market Access and Trade Development Project (2024-29) (AV23003) is underway and we have great plans for engaging with our overseas markets to increase exports and – all going well – open up new markets. Flora Zhang’s article in this issue of the magazine provides an overview of the project and its objectives. If you would like to know more you can contact Flora (General Manager – Export) by email at export@avocado.org.au, for market access matters please contact Richard Magney, email marketaccess@avocado.org.au.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

CEO’S REPORT

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AROUND AUSTRALIA Tristate

Central New South Wales

By Kym Thiel

Happy New year to all.

By Ian Tolson

Hass harvest for all growers - except for a small minority - is now well and truly finished and it was a very varied season. Crops for some were at least average to above, while for some they were non-existent.

Marketing of the crop proved to be unusual as well with pricing at times all over the place with minimal difference between Premium and C1. The expected spike with price leading into December and Xmas did not eventuate either with more fruit coming out of the west than predicted.

Maturity, as I predicted, was also well advanced and fruit was showing signs of over maturity in late November to early December especially where crops were light. It will be interesting to see how January plays out with Western Australia more advanced in harvest than they expected.

The 2024 season produced some of the best fruit I can remember in the region, and it helped consolidate in my mind that we as a region are well placed to capitalise on and pursue export market opportunities. For anybody considering exporting or for anybody that is just starting I encourage you to think about attending the Southeast Asia study tour in early March 2025. Even for experienced players I am sure there will be opportunities coming out of this.

After experiencing one of the driest winters on record, rain began to fall in mid-November with widespread falls in the vicinity of 30-70mm over 2-3 days. This was very welcome and has helped trees set a very heavy crop. The exception to this is of course where crops were heavy in this past season, but with a light crop for most in 2024 I expect the region to bounce back with very large numbers in 2025/26. This will present a challenge as it will run smack bang into what is predicted to be a record Western Australian crop. You may have seen a lot of industry media highlighting the work that is being done in China in regard to market access. Although most Tristate growers would be happy with the 2024 season in regard to returns, I can guarantee you, that we will see nothing like that ever again unless we continue to move as much fruit as possible offshore and China has the capacity to take the volumes we need to keep pricing up. A lot of work has been done and still needs to be done but I can guarantee you it is at the forefront of Avocados Australia’s mind and operations.

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AROUND AUSTRALIA

As we wrap up the season here in Central NSW, let’s take a look at how things have panned out and what lies ahead for our avocado industry.

First off, most producers across the region have finished up for the season, with a few still working away in the Comboyne area. The good news? Prices have been solid for producers, and customers are enjoying avocados at a reasonable price, making it a win-win for all involved. A much-needed positive shift compared to last year!

However, there are a few factors to keep an eye on. At Stuarts Point, fruit set is looking on par to last year. But the real concern is the Comboyne region, where fruit set will be far less than we saw this season. So, why the difference? Most producers are blaming the unusual spring weather. Whilst on the subject of the weather, it’s been a mixed bag. While spring brought above-average rainfall, we did experience a brief hot spell early on. Then back to cooler weather which may have slightly altered the beginning of flowering. A little unpredictable, but that’s the nature of farming.

One key issue is that most of Central NSW is still dealing with biennial/irregular bearing, a long-standing challenge for many growers. This inconsistency in fruit production is something that really needs to be addressed. If we can find ways to resolve this, we’ll see more stable, reliable crops year after year.

Looking forward, the focus should be on quality, not just quantity. Growers need to continue working on producing premium fruit, with the right size and quality. This is where the real returns lie, and it’ll be key to staying competitive in the market.

Now, a little food for thought. There’s been a growing awareness that avocados are great for your health, but how many consumers actually know how good they really are?

A recent conversation with a local doctor sparked that interesting point. While most people recognize avocados as a healthy food choice, do they fully understand the nutritional benefits and the science behind them? This could be an opportunity for us to help spread the word and convert more consumers into avocado fans. After all, the more people know about the true value of our produce, the better for all of us!

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

Avocados must be promoted as an everyday inclusion in your diet. In our household they are used instead of butter at lunch time and weekend breakfasts. Dinner time the vegies are served on a “bed” of guacamole, certainly makes eating your vegies very and more enjoyable.

Another golden opportunity to increase consumption is tapping into the baby market, this picture of Ashton who is 1, loves eating avocados so much he has it every day.

The smile on his face whilst eating begs the tagline, “the pure joy of eating avocado”. It would be amazing if every child in the country was doing the same thing.

So, to wrap up: it’s been a season of highs, some challenges, and plenty of opportunities. Let’s continue focusing on producing the best fruit and educating the public about all the reasons they should keep enjoying their daily avocado!

Tamborine and Northern Rivers

So how can we improve our skills and do what we can that is under our control?

We will take a day on Thursday 13 February 2025 from 8:30am to 12:30pm for the “Pest identification and management practical workshop.” The workshop will be in two parts: 1) morning 08:30 – taking place in Wollongbar DPI, and 2) Walk and talk at House With No Steps in Alstonville.

Join the AV23010 project team for a practical avocado pest identification and management workshop, with the technical support of Eddy Dunn, from Total Grower Services.

This interactive session will cover: • Identifying, understanding and managing key regional pests.

• Understanding beneficial insects and their role in pest control.

• Best practices for pesticide use and resistance prevention.

Enjoy hands-on activities, quizzes, and a farm walk for practical pest control tools. Strengthen your pest management approach and connect with fellow growers!

Now my dear friends – it is not every day we can get a workshop in our area so I hope you can all make it, enjoy it and hopefully learn something.

Western Australia

By Izhar Adar

By Brad Rodgers

Happy New Year to you all!

The West Australian summer has got off to a mild start with the first real warm week as I write this in midDecember. After a record breaking 2023/24 summer growers are hoping for a bit of a reprieve this year.

As I write this report (in midDecember) we had a very wet spring and a very wet start for the summer.

Looking back at the picking season that ended, we had Hobson choice (which is a choice between a few options when none of them is attractive) to start picking on time and cope with the bad prices (again) or wait and hope that prices will get better, with the later choice that will affect the pruning and the next picking season.

It's a dilemma that none of us like.

Between the hail (God save us all), the heat wave and wet front, I'm thinking that most of my worries in the orchard come from dry and hot periods and extreme events, but most of the damage on the farms were due to too much rain or seven weeks without one good sunny day (2022) - and that's all I have got to say about fears, weather, hopes and dreams....

Talking with a few growers in our region reveals that there was around average fruit set and sizing looking good, so far, with a few farms that got hit from the cold weather (4-6 degrees at night) in August after an extreme heat wave (34-36 degrees) on the last week of August resulting in a problematic fruit set.

The harvest continues well in the southwest and fruit quality is good with a little ridging and netting noticeable.

Orchards have come out of spring in good condition with a strong set and flush to go with it. Hover flies were out in force during spring and contributed to overall pollination.

Six-spotted mite is having a crack this year so growers who aren’t monitoring should start, especially into autumn 2025.

Growers who use Avocados Australia’s Best Practice Resource will find useful information on how to identify, prevent, monitor and treat six-spotted mite. Just enter this brief link in your web browser https://bit.ly/3Bn8AVm - log in and you will be automatically directed to the relevant page.

I also should note that Polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB) is front of mind for growers who remain alert but not alarmed. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) have a dedicated webpage with key

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

AROUND AUSTRALIA

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information for growers including how to identify, manage and report PSHB: www.agric.wa.gov.au/borer.

Western Australia recently had two clean audits for export to Japan and Thailand. Look out for Avocados Australia’s industry notices for the details about the Protocol market registration and accreditation webinar happening in February next year for India, Japan, and Thailand. I encourage you all to take up this opportunity and commit to export programs to these overseas markets.

In November we hosted a successful inbound mission from export trading partners from four countries including India, Thailand, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC Middle East) and Japan. The delegates were very impressed with our industry, how we grow and process high quality avocados.

We expect to host more overseas delegates as there are plans for another Inbound Trade Mission in 2025.

I wish all growers a great finish to the 24/25 season and look forward to seeing you throughout 2025.

South Queensland

By Chip Saint

It has been an on again/off again start to the Summer in South Queensland.

At the time of writing my last article for Talking Avocados, a good flowering was giving all the indications of a good crop for the 2025 season. An unseasonal cool spell with rain, wind and cloud impacted pollination across most of South Queensland. Orchards with early flowering seemed to fare better than those that flowered a little later in the season. Fruit set has been disappointing in many orchards in the Hampton, Ravensbourne and Blackbutt areas.

Good rain over November and the first half of December has meant we have been spraying to manage pests, diseases and weeds. With the rain intermingled with days in the mid30s, we are also mowing for grass control in all orchards. As always, I would encourage everyone to visit the Best Practice Resource (BPR) page to check pest and disease treatment information.

In late October, the Board travelled to Atherton to attend Avocados Australia’s AGM. At the AGM, it was announced that Duncan Wells and Lawrence Masasso were successful in their elections to vacant Director positions for Western Australia and North Queensland respectively. Eric Carney was also successful in his re-election as one of the two Directors for Central Queensland. I congratulate Duncan and Lawrence on their election and also Eric on his re-election. As you are all aware, Matt Kleyn was elected as the new Chair of the Board. My congratulations to Matt and my thanks to Brad Rogers, the outgoing Chair, for his guidance and wise counsel.

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AROUND AUSTRALIA

In addition to the AGM, the Board attended the North Queensland (NQ) Avocado Export Regional Forum as well as convening for a day and half of Board meetings. The Board took the opportunity to visit a number of avocado farms in the NQ area, gaining a better understanding of the issues impacting NQ. My thanks to all involved in the visit.

Avocados Australia’s long-term work in establishing the China export market has gained momentum. Several of the Avocados Australia Directors, along with John Tyas and Richard Magney attended the China International Import Expo (CIIE). The heavier than normal Avocados Australia presence in China was a key part of Avocados Australia’s ‘pull strategy’ to demonstrate to the Chinese government how committed we are to gain access, as well as serving as an indicator of the strong interest from China in Australian avocados. Several MOUs were signed over the period in addition to a AUD $300 million pre-purchase agreement for Australian avocados to be purchased as soon as access for our avocados has been granted. Further information and specifics on the outcomes of the visit are available in a number of Avocados Australia communications releases.

With the Federal Election due to be called before May 2025, Avocados Australia has begun seeking endorsements from each of the major parties for support to Avocados Australia’s push into China. Both major political parties are supportive of Avocados Australia’s efforts. This is important because as a 02 December 2024 article in the Australia pointed out “the biggest hurdle for Australian avocado farmers is not Beijing but Canberra bureaucrats”. Avocados Australia will continue its work to establish avocados as the next commodity on the 2x2 trade talks with China.

While success in China is not yet a foregone conclusion, it’s prudent for members to begin consideration for how we can work to meet the expected demand. Growers and packers should consider their export readiness to support the existing export markets, including India, as well as positioning for China. Information on export readiness can be found on the Best Practice Resource “Export” webpage.

In closing I wanted to say a big thank you to Hayleigh Dawson. As many of you know, Hayleigh resigned as Avocados Australia’s Market Development Manager in late November. Known for her knowledge and expertise in the domestic market, her drive and passion for the Australian avocado industry, and her superb avocado-themed dresssense, Hayleigh has been a tremendous asset for us. While we will definitely miss Hayleigh’s presence and energy, she is still working in the ‘Avosphere’ with Queensland Fruit & Veg Growers. I wish Hayleigh well in her future endeavours.

As a busy and productive 2024 ends, I want to wish everyone in South Queensland a very Merry Christmas and ‘fruitful’ 2025.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

Central Queensland/ Sunshine Coast

By Lucy Philip

I would like to start by congratulating Eric on his successful re-election as CQ/SC Director for another term. It is also very heartening to see dedicated individuals like Matt Dorrian stepping up, wanting to make positive changes to our industry.

be imposed on us. I urge you all to attend these events and take advantage of the opportunity to have your say, connect with other growers, and gain new insights. Please keep an eye out for reminder emails.

I want to wish you all a safe and Happy New Year. I look forward to seeing you all soon. Here's to a successful and thriving avocado industry in the coming year!

North Queensland

By Lawrence Masasso

I would also like to extend a warm welcome to our new board members, Duncan and Lawrence, whose fresh perspectives will bring new energy to the table. It is encouraging to now have a full board of 10, and I hope to see this election process replicated in upcoming elections across all regions, as it shows industry engagement through the representation of diverse viewpoints.

Since our AGM in October, the board has been keeping busy.

Along with Eric Carney, Matt Kleyn, and Lawrence Masasso, I had the opportunity to attend the China International Import Export (CIIE) in Shanghai. Our presence at CIIE resulted in AAL signing multiple MoUs with key organizations, solidifying our commitment to expand market access for Australian avocados into China. We continue to demonstrate our commitment and will keep both the Chinese and Australian governments updated on our progress.

In a recent interview on the Avocado Sustainability Strategy I participated in, I was asked to define what sustainability means to me. Admittedly, the word has often made me cringe, but upon reflection, I realised that sustainability means maintaining or supporting a process continuously over time.

It is not just about conserving the land for future generations; it also entails creating a sustainable trading environment to ensure our future generations can trade and compete globally.

Market access is crucial for our sustainability as an industry.

I urge you all to help and keep advocating for international market access opportunities to local, state, and federal governments.

On the production front, fruit set is varied across the region, with the early flowering setting better than the later ones.

At this time of year, although very welcomed the rain brings in pests and diseases, it is crucial to stay on top of them to maintain our quality. The prices for the next year look promising, so let's continue to maintain our quality.

We have exciting events lined up for CQ in February, starting on the 13th with our regional forum at the Bundaberg Multiplex, focusing on Nutrition and Fruit Quality, followed by a farm walk. Later on the 25th, we have a focus group at the Bundaberg Research Station, which will allow us to shape the next steps for practical biosecurity practices. It is essential for both large and small growers to participate and be the voice in developing on-farm biosecurity strategies; otherwise, they will

For those that don’t know me, I’m Lawrence Masasso and I’m the new 2nd director for North Queensland.

It’s been quite the introduction to Avocados Australia.

Not long after my first Board meeting, I jumped on a plane to attend the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. It gave me great confidence to see how well planned and executed Avocados Australia’s strategy is to gain market access into China. I am firmly of the belief now that because of the lobbying success of Avocados Australia we are in a great position to gain access to the China market in the near future.

In North Queensland the summer rains have arrived, and growers’ attention has turned to preparing for the Shepard harvest. It appears that the crop will be a little smaller than the long-term average. This is a result of poor weather during flowering and tree losses during the rain events of last year.

After the difficulties of the 2024 season due to weather and low prices things look brighter for this year. Growers are expected to start harvest off the back of strong prices at the end of Southern and Western Australia’s season. This will come as a welcome relief for all North Queensland Shepard growers.

It’s timely now to consider how important it will be to pick fruit at the correct maturity. There will be a lot of pressure on growers coming from markets to get fruit on the market sooner. Growers need to resist this pressure and be prepared to only pick fruit when dry matter tests indicate maturity has been reached.

Shepards picked at correct maturity are an exceptional avocado and something we can all be proud to grow and supply. We have the important task of kicking off new season supply every year and possibly setting up the season for not just ourselves but the rest of the country.

I hope it’s a great 2025 season for you all.

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AROUND AUSTRALIA

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Extension News –

A Look Ahead: Grower Events in 2025

By Bridie Carr, Queensland Department of Primary Industries The Industry Development and Extension Project marked its first anniversary in December 2024, wrapping up a productive first year. Growers have shown strong interest in initiatives such as the recruitment of regional leads, round-robin discussions at forums, and hands-on practical workshops.

These activities have supported participation and provided valuable opportunities for learning and sharing knowledge across the industry.

Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be a busy and exciting year, with over 25 grower-focused events planned nationwide. Each event is designed with direct input from regional growers, facilitated by the project’s regional leads. The technical focus for these events is carefully reviewed and endorsed by informal regional advisory groups comprising local growers.

This collaborative approach ensures that all activities are regionally relevant and deliver tangible benefits to growers. If you’re interested in joining one of these advisory groups, your regional lead would love to hear from you!

Reflecting on 2024 and Planning for 2025

In late October, the project team came together to reflect on the past year’s successes and challenges. This session provided an opportunity to review grower feedback from events held nationwide, along with insights from the project’s reference group. These reflections have helped inform plans for 2025, with a continued focus on delivering high-quality, practical information grounded in industry-endorsed best practices, research findings, and expert advice.

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One of the challenges the project faces is supporting the diversity of growing regions and varying levels of grower experience. The team understands that some information may be more relevant to certain growers than others at events, and we recognise that expectations for new insights are influenced by the evolving nature of research and the current stage of its findings.

A key takeaway from industry feedback during the development of the new project was the need for information shared at regional forums to be ‘grower-ready, industryendorsed best practice’. In response, the project has moved away from the previous ‘R&D project update’ format and has adopted a technical theme approach, which aligns with its focus on six key practice change areas.

To stay informed of the latest developments, the project team will meet regularly with the RD&E Coordinator for formal updates. The appointment of the RD&E Coordinator is a strategic industry investment aimed at bridging the gap between research project outcomes and industry needs, ensuring better alignment and communication. The role acts as a neutral liaison between delivery partners, Hort Innovation, and the industry, supporting grower needs.

Growers are also encouraged to reach out to the RD&E Coordinator for more information: RD&E Coordinator – Mary Burton rde@avocado.org.au or 0499 854 111

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The Value of Hosting Farm-Based Events

Farm-based workshops and orchard walks are highly valued by growers for the hands-on learning experiences they provide.

These workshops rely on the generosity of growers who open their farms to host these industry events. We sincerely thank those who have already hosted project activities and encourage others to consider hosting in the future.

‘Spray discussions and management were helpful particularly with the insight from Eddy’s knowledge’ ‘Learned more about what chemicals work best for which pests, and information about how different chemicals should be used’ Feedback from growers on the North Queensland nutrition management practical workshop:

For those who haven’t hosted before, it’s a rewarding opportunity to contribute to the industry while gaining valuable exposure to new ideas and practices. As a token of appreciation, host growers will receive a complimentary copy of the 2nd Edition Problem Solver guide. If you're interested in hosting an event, please contact project lead Bridie Carr or your regional lead.

Shaping the Future Together

The success of this project relies on grower engagement, ideas, and feedback to ensure that activities meet regional priorities and the evolving needs of the industry. We encourage growers to reach out with suggestions, feedback, or ideas for future events. Your input helps shape the direction of the project and ensures it continues to serve the needs of growers.

This article offers a look ahead at what’s planned for 2025 and the exciting opportunities on the horizon. If you'd like to learn more about upcoming events, don't hesitate to contact project lead Bridie Carr or your regional lead.

‘Helped me to understand more about nutrition and what to do’ ‘It was very informative and interesting’ ‘Useful workshop and I will apply on farm what I have learnt’ ‘Increased my knowledge on the timing of application’ Feedback from growers on the Tristate canopy management practical workshop:

Practical Workshops These half-day, grower-only workshops are held on-farm and focus on specific priority practice change areas, offering a targeted, hands-on learning experience. Designed to benefit all growers, these workshops are especially valuable for those looking to enhance their skills or explore new practices.

The informal, interactive format encourages meaningful discussions, ensuring that participants leave with practical, actionable knowledge they can immediately apply to their operations.

Value to Growers:

Upcoming practical workshops:

Feedback from growers on the Central Queensland pest monitoring workshop:

‘Great to go out to the trees and search the mat’

'A terrific balance of theory and what works practically' 'Very worthwhile and a future follow up would be beneficial'

• Benefit from a focused, topic-specific approach.

• Learn in a practical, on-farm environment.

• Engage in relaxed, interactive discussions.

‘It was very informative and useful’

'Thank you for your hands-on workshop. I learnt quite a bit on how to prune and where to prune and I will put what I have learnt to practice'

• Pest monitoring workshops - Central NSW 11 February 2025 - Northern NSW 13 February 2025 • Nutrition management - Perth 25 March 2025 - Manjimup 27 March 2025 - Central QLD 29 May 2025 • Canopy management workshop - North QLD 29 May 2025 - South QLD 20 August 2025 • Irrigation monitoring - Mildura 8 October 2025 - Riverland 10 October 2025

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Keep an eye out for Avocados Australia event communications to register your interest in attending the practical workshops!

Regional Forums Regional forums are full-day events designed for growers, starting with a half-day session at a venue focused on a regionally endorsed technical theme. The session includes expert presentations and an industry update from Avocados Australia. A key feature of the forum is the peer-to-peer activity, allowing growers to engage directly with speakers and fellow growers, promoting the exchange of ideas and collaborative learning. In the afternoon, participants join a farm walk hosted by a regional grower, offering a hands-on, on-farm learning experience. This interactive format enables growers to explore practical solutions and deepen their understanding of the technical topic.

In 2025, spots for resellers and suppliers will be limited to two per business in some regions, based on endorsed grower feedback.

Value to Growers:

• Gain in-depth insights from expert presenters on technical topics.

• Build meaningful relationships with fellow growers and industry leaders.

• Take away practical insights from the on-farm walk hosted by a regional grower.

Upcoming regional forums:

• Central Queensland – Nutrition and fruit quality 13 February 2025 • South Queensland – Pests and diseases – 26 March 2025 • Central NSW – Yield variability – 3 July 2025 • Tristate – Nutrition and fruit quality – 7 May 2025 • Western Australia – Pests and diseases – 18 June 2025 • North Queensland – Crop management – 27 August 2025 Keep an eye out for Avocados Australia event communications to register your interest in attending the regional forums!

Irrigation Fundamental Workshops Organised by Applied Horticulture Research (AHR) and tailored to each region, these one-day workshops combine expert presentations, hands-on activities, and a field walk to help growers understand the fundamentals of avocado irrigation. Addressing local factors like soil type and climate, the workshops offer practical strategies for optimising irrigation practices and enhancing water efficiency.

Value to Growers:

• Develop an irrigation strategy tailored to your region.

• Receive expert advice and insights from experts • Learn hands-on techniques to enhance water use and boost crop performance.

Feedback from growers on peer-to-peer activities part of the regional forums:

‘The round-robin was a great opportunity to talk to the speakers on a 1 on 1 level’ ‘The smaller groups were a great way to engage with the speaker and ask questions and for more detail’ ‘I could actually talk to the speakers and clarify some things through a conversation’ ‘The round robin sessions I found to be the highlight. More of these one on ones in the future would be nice’ ‘I enjoyed listening to other growers' contexts and ideas - a great way to learn from other people's experience and knowledge.’

Feedback from growers on the irrigation fundamentals workshops:

‘Great workshop, loved how the presenters got everyone involved very early on and I learnt plenty.’

‘Great format and pace of delivery’ ‘Very informative and the team was very helpful’ ‘Enjoyed the day. Found a lot of information out and it was good to see other growers’

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convenient way to stay up to date with the latest avocado research and industry insights.

Upcoming irrigation fundamental workshops:

• North Queensland – 12 August 2025 • Central Queensland –13 August 2025

Value to Growers:

Keep an eye out for Avocados Australia event communications to register your interest in attending the irrigation workshops!

• Gain insights from both global and Australian experts.

• Learn at your convenience from the comfort of your home or office.

Feedback from webinar attendees

Sprayer Workshops In partnership with Muirs, these workshops focus on improving pest and disease management through effective spray application. Combining theoretical knowledge with practical field demonstrations, growers will learn how to optimise spray efficacy for improved coverage to support pest and disease management.

Value to Growers:

• Improve the quality and effectiveness of spray applications.

• Gain practical insights to enhance pest and disease control.

‘Very good keeping it short and sweet’ ‘Presenter was easy to listen to and engaging’ ‘Very well presented’ ‘Excellent presentation clear and concise results’ Missed the 2024 Lunch and Learn webinars on Nutrition and Fruit Quality with Graeme Thomas, Pollinator Diversity with Dr. David Cook, or Pollination with Dr. Stephen Trueman?

Visit the BPR library ‘video’ section, or scan the QR code below to watch the recordings Pollination:

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mjhOBJJB1y8

Feedback from growers on the sprayer workshops:

‘Excellent information in compact time’

Dr. Stephen Trueman covered: • Update on research findings on avocado pollination • Cross-pollination requirements of avocados and how these factors may impact fruit quality Pollinator diversity:

‘Really good and useful information’ ‘Great workshop loved the practical aspect helped put it all into perspective’

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=t2Y9K04MAwU

Upcoming sprayer workshops

Dr David Cook covered: • Research findings on enhancing avocado pollination using flies • Explored the diversity of pollinators in avocados • Discussed ways of promoting biodiversity in orchards to support pollination and fruit set.

Keep an eye out for Avocados Australia event communications to register your interest in attending the sprayer workshops!

Nutrition and fruit quality:

• Central NSW – 12 March 2025 • Tristate – 27 March 2025 • Perth WA – 20 May 2025 • Manjimup WA – 22 May 2025 • South Queensland – 22 October 2025

Lunch and Learn Webinars These recorded online sessions bring experts and consultants directly to growers and industry stakeholders. Focusing on priority practice change areas, the webinars provide a

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=MYYsgevefo4

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Graeme Thomas covered: • Practical strategies aimed at achieving higher fruit quality outcomes • The integrated approach of the ‘Pegg Wheel’ for controlling phytophthora root rot and discussed his strategies for optimising calcium uptake during the critical 8-10 week period after fruit set, taking into account soil cation balance and the strategic application of gypsum.

Upcoming Lunch & Learn webinars

• Spotting Bugs – 27 February 2025 • Nutrition – TBC April 2025 • Disease management – TBC June 2025 • Plant Growth Regulators – TBC August 2025 • Irrigation management – TBC October 2025 Keep an eye out for Avocados Australia event communications to register your interest in attending a Lunch & Learn webinar!

All webinars are recorded and made available on the BPR for growers who cannot attend the live session.

Mark Your Calendar!

The 2025 event calendar is now set! Stay tuned for more details through Avocados Australia’s communications. If you’re not currently receiving event updates, please reach out to Amanda Madden at Avocados Australia (admin2@avocado.org.au).

You can also access the 2025 Grower Event Calendar by entering this short URL in your web browser: https://bit.ly/3ZMoaCe - mark the dates in your calendars!

The project team looks forward to meeting new growers and reconnecting with familiar faces at upcoming events. Don’t miss the chance to expand your knowledge and grow your network!

For more information, to register your interest, or to inquire about hosting a farm walk, contact Bridie Carr at bridie.carr@daf.qld.gov.au.

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The Extension project team – (left to right) Shanara Veivers (SQ regional lead), Tamaya Peressini (NQ regional lead), Bridie Carr (Project lead), Amanda Madden (AAL), Renata Grunennvaldt (CQ regional lead), Isabella Ellmers (NSW regional lead), Rachelle Johnstone (WA regional lead), Steven Falivene (Tristate regional lead), Adam Goldwater (NSW regional lead).

Absent: Chad Simpson, Paige Leibich, and Don Thorp (Muirs team leading sprayer workshops); Kelvin Montagu and Liam Southam-Rogers (AHR team leading irrigation workshops); Emily Pattison (NQ regional lead).

Talk to your regional lead!

• North Queensland – Emily Pattison – emily.pattison@daf.qld.gov.au or 0491 379 771 • Central Queensland – Renata Grunennvaldt – renata.grunennvaldt@daf.qld.gov.au or 0475 855 445 • South Queensland – Shanara Veivers – shanara.veivers@daf.qld.gov.au or 0408 371 054 • New South Wales – Adam Goldwater adam.goldwater@ahr.com.au or 0466 080 693 • Tristate – Steven Falivene steven.falivene@dpi.nsw.gov.au or 0427 208 611 • Western Australia – Rachelle Johnstone rachelle.johnstone@dpird.wa.gov.au or 0423 114 972

Contact: Bridie Carr, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, email bridie.carr@daf.qld.gov.au or call 0436 675 740

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Avocados Australia 2024 OrchardInfo Tree Census Report

By Daniel Martens, Avocados Australia

The 2024 OrchardInfo Tree Census provides essential insights into the avocado industry in Australia, highlighting significant trends in tree maturity, planting characteristics, and regional distribution. As the industry continues to evolve, the data provides growers and stakeholders with insights on the current state and direction of the industry.

The findings reflect the state of avocado orchards as of December 2024, based on voluntary contributions from growers across Australia. Data has been collated from 93.10% of all known avocado orchards.

The report includes a state level comparison with the Australian Tree Crop Map (ATCM) managed by the Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre (AARSC) for validation purposes.

Tree Maturity and Distribution As of 2024, Australia is home to 16,097.75 hectares of avocado orchards, with 3,983,774 trees spread across various regions.

The report highlights that a significant portion (27.70%) of these plantations consists of trees less than six years of age.

Recent Planting Trends The report highlights that the rate of new plantings surged heavily in the mid-2010s, with 2019 marking a record year for

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avocado planting, when 1,629 hectares were planted. However, since then, the rate has returned to pre-2015 levels. Hence, approximately 25% of total plantings are 2 to 5 years old.

Regional Summary In North Queensland, avocado cultivation spans 4,395.05 hectares, representing 27.30% of the total avocado area in Australia. This region is home to 859,294 trees, which accounts for 21.57% of all avocado trees nationwide. Shepard is the dominant variety in the region by area, comprising 48.76% of the total hectares, alongside the popular Hass variety.

Western Australia follows closely, with 4,247.48 hectares dedicated to avocados, amounting to 26.39% of the total avocado area. This region is the largest by number of trees, with 1,466,174 trees, which is 36.80% of the national total. The majority of these trees are Hass, making up 98.83% of the total tree count.

Central Queensland is the third largest region by both number of trees and hectares, with 3,260.93 hectares planted, representing 20.26% of the total avocado area. The number of trees in this region is 746,437, accounting for 18.74% of all avocado trees. Here, as with most other regions, the Hass variety is predominant, contributing 76.08% of the total tree population in Central Queensland.

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Other regions including Tristate, Central New South Wales, and South Queensland, although much smaller, make up the remaining 26.05% of the industry hectares.

The full report is only made available to avocado growers who have provided their orchard data to Avocados Australia.

However, the data informs numerous industry analyses, including the long-term crop forecast. If you have any questions about the 2024 tree census data, feel free to contact Daniel Martins (data analyst) at data@avocado.org.au or 0458 004 198.

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Global Export Trade Update

By Wayne Prowse, Fresh Intelligence Consulting

Avocado global production reached 9.0 million tonnes in 2022 and as we wait for the release of 2023 data, we’d expect it to be slightly lower. The lower production has been contributing to higher prices as demand outstripped supply in 2024. The global import trade of avocados 2023/24 reached 3.2 million tonnes worth AU$12.1 billion equivalent, easing 0.7 per cent by volume. Reduced production resulting in fewer exports from the two largest players Mexico and Peru influenced the result and provided opportunities for others including Australia to substantially lift trade.

Mexico remains the world’s largest producer and exporter of avocados.

In 2023/24 Mexico exported over 1.1 million tonnes of avocados to the United States and Canada plus 27,400 tonnes to Asian markets including Japan, Hong Kong, and China. Trade to Asia from Mexico decreased 29 per cent in 2023/24 as the exporters tended to focus on the closer United States and Canada markets.

Peru is the second largest global exporter, and the largest exporter in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2023/24 Peru exported 606,392 tonnes, 9 per cent lower in the year, mostly to Europe and United States, However the 11 per cent exported to Asia exceeded 65,000 tonnes and is making a significant impact in markets such as China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.

Chile’s position as a major avocado producer in South America has been declining due to harsh drought conditions, and the increased competition from Peru, Colombia and Brazil. Their export trade held at just under 90,000 tonnes in 2023/24 of which 72 per cent was Europe bound and 10 per cent destined to Asia, mostly to China. Chile is the only South American country with access

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Figure 1: Major exporters of avocados in 2023/24 vs the previous year.

to Australia and has exported over 400 tonnes to Australia in November 2024, for the first time in 2 years, with more to come this season.

Colombia has become the world’s second largest producer of avocados and the largest in South America after recording production of approximately 1.1 million tonnes in 2022. This is an increase of 35 per year over 5 years driven by increased yields of new plantations. However, Colombia is only exporting around 10 per cent of its production, almost all to Europe though last year exported 4,200 tonnes to Asia after gaining access to China.

Their position as a global exporter is increasing.

African markets make gains South Africa was traditionally the largest exporter of avocados in Africa until exceeded by Kenya a few years ago. In 2023/24 South Africa exported 80,000 tonnes of avocados, lifting 11 per

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cent over the previous year. Europe was the main destination accounting for 87 per cent of all exports by volume and negligible (less than 100 tonnes) trade to Asia.

Kenya is now the largest producer and exporter of avocados in Africa. In 2023/24 Kenya exported 131,500 tonnes of avocados, increasing 16 per cent over the previous year. Kenya exports mostly to Europe and the Middle East and sent 4,000 tonnes to Asia influenced by their recent access to China. Although these volumes to Asia are small Kenya can ramp up their supply to Singapore and Malaysia with low-cost products competing with Australia.

The latest new player from Africa is Tanzania. Tanzania is an upcoming producer of avocados in central Africa supplementing volumes to Europe from nearby Kenya. Avocados are a relatively new crop that Tanzania started exporting in 2009. In 2023

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Tanzania exported 27,500 tonnes of avocados with a notably low unit value of AU$2.05 per kg. Although Europe was the main destination region the country has made India a focus. Of the 4,030 tonnes sent to Asian markets, 89 per cent were exported to India where Tanzania has achieved over 85 per cent market share in its first 2 years of trade to the market. Tanzania’s “Least Developed Country” status means that avocados enter India tariff free.

Data News –

Figure 2: Japan - Avocado Imports by month by supplier - Nov 22 to Oct 24.

A closer look at Japan Japan was the largest importer of avocados in Asia until overtaken by China 2023. In 2023/24 Japan imported almost 54,000 tonnes of avocados, which accounted for 100 per cent of the country’s total consumption. Japan has no local production. Mexico is the main supplier with 71 per cent market share followed by Peru (26 per cent share) plus small volumes from Australia, United States, and New Zealand.

Australia shipped 968 tonnes in 2023/24 from Western Australia and is now the third largest supplier after Mexico and Peru. So far this season (30 November) Australia has shipped 543 tonnes and is on track to reach around 700 tonnes for this season or 30 per cent lower than last year. That would give Australia around a 1.5 per cent market share. As the Figure 2 chart shows it is a slow road to build market share in Japan though at market competitive price points around AU$5.00 per kg landed Australia made some significant gains against the world’s two largest exporters.

Japan’s key metrics include: 1.

Market size – 125 million population – about 5 x the size of Australia.

2. Second largest per capita consumption in Asia – 0.43 kg per person per year 3.

100 per cent reliant on imports for avocados – no domestic competition

Figure 3: Avocado Exports per month vs last 2 years. Source: IHS Global Trade Atlas; Fresh Intelligence analysis.

4. Capacity to buy – Japan’s GDP is approximately US 46,000 per capita allowing the market to afford to pay good prices.

These figures demonstrate that, while it will take some time for Japanese buyers to become loyal to Australia, maintaining consistent and reliable trade (quality, service and competitive pricing etc.) and in the wake of Mexico reducing focus on Asian markets Australia has an excellent opportunity to develop Japan to be one of our largest destinations.

As stated previously while enjoying the higher price points domestically the Australian export programs are exposed to renewed interest from African and Latin America with more than sufficient supply to replace Australian avocados if we are priced out of the markets. As mentioned, Chilean avocados are already in transit to Australia’s domestic market stronghold.

Australian exports – shaping a bittersweet result While 2023’s 20,000 tonne result was a volume milestone the price points were contentious. 2024’s results from July to October for Australian exports of avocados were 42 per cent BELOW the previous year result at 4,215 tonnes.

However, the good news was that the recorded unit values were 41.9 per cent higher at $5.77 per kg (FOB) and exceeded $7.00 per kg in October.

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Introducing the Avocado Trade Development and Market Access Project (2024–2029)

By Flora Zhang, Avocados Australia The Avocado market access and trade development project (AV20004) was instrumental in helping us to increase exports this year. That project ended and the Avocado Market Access and Trade Development Project (2024-29) (AV23003) is now building on its success. As you would have read in the spring issue of Talking Avocados magazine, the Australian Avocados International Marketing Campaign won an Asia Fruit Award in September.

• International Relations: Maintaining relationships with key government bodies like DAFF and facilitating audits and study tours for global stakeholders.

The Australian avocado industry is at a pivotal moment as it continues to grow exponentially, driven by increasing global demand. To sustain this growth and capitalize on export opportunities, the newly launched Avocado Trade Development and Market Access Project (2024–2029) is poised to be the industry’s cornerstone initiative for the next five years. Building on the successes of the last reiteration of the project (AV20004), this flagship project brings enhanced resources, expanded support pillars, and a strategic focus to strengthen the export culture and ensure sustainable profitability for Australian avocado growers.

Why This Project Matters By 2029, the industry must accommodate an additional volume of avocados for export markets. While domestic markets are essential, expanding into export markets is critical to maintaining pricing and ensuring profitable farm gate returns. This project aims to secure new opportunities in high-value international markets, with a particular focus on regions like Southeast Asia, Japan, GCC and India.

Over the past three years, exports have grown by 600%, thanks to efforts to the growers and exporters with the support under AV20004. The new project takes this progress further, integrating additional pillars and an ambitious roadmap to ensure long-term growth and market competitiveness.

The Core Pillars of the Project 1. Market Access Support

• Streamlined Processes: Introducing a grower-packer model to reduce costs and improve efficiency in accreditation and registration.

• Protocol Compliance: Supporting growers with tailored tools, webinars, and one-on-one guidance for protocol market readiness.

• MRL Management: Mitigating risks through monitoring, education, and the development of advanced tools like the AAL MRL app.

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Figure 1. North Queensland regional forum 2024.

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2. Export Culture and Capacity Building

3. Export Communications

Figure 2. North Queensland regional forum 2024.

Figure 3. North Queensland regional forum 2024.

• Regional Forums: Conducting annual export development forums across major growing regions to foster an exportready mindset.

• Training and Resources: Providing tailored guides, market-specific checklists, and updates on export requirements to enhance industry readiness.

• Trade Missions: Organizing outbound study missions to emerging markets like India and Japan to build relationships and gather insights.

• Industry-Facing: Continuously improving stakeholder engagement through newsletters, industry magazines, and online resources.

• External-Facing: Launching the first industry-led overseas communication strategy, including crop forecasts, market insights, and promotional activities.

• Global Visibility: Engaging with trade media and leveraging platforms like the Avocado Global Portal to inform and educate international audiences.

Your online one-stop-shop focusing on best practice, providing avocado information, tips and how-tos…

avocado.org.au/best-practice-resource/

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Figure 4. Export section in Avocados Australia's website for educating viewers.

4. Export Quality Enhancement

• Supply Chain Training: Delivering workshops on handling and ripening to maintain high-quality standards from farm to table.

• Market-Specific Practices: Developing educational resources for wholesalers and retailers to support quality assurance across key export markets.

5. Trade Development

• Global Collaborations: Partnering with organizations like the World Avocado Organization to amplify category growth.

• Trade Shows and Campaigns: Representing Australian avocados at major events like Gulfood and Asia Fruit Logistica to build brand recognition.

• Food Service Partnerships: Engaging with culinary schools and chefs to promote Australian avocados in local cuisines.

6. Project Management and Evaluation

• Performance Monitoring: Establishing a comprehensive M&E framework to measure the project's impact on export growth, market access, and industry capacity.

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• Stakeholder Collaboration: Regular consultations with a Project Reference Group to refine strategies and address emerging challenges.

• Risk Management: Implementing a robust risk management plan to safeguard the industry’s reputation and supply chain connectivity.

Expected Outcomes The project sets ambitious targets that include: • Increased Export Volumes: Achieving greater market penetration and higher export volumes in priority regions.

• Enhanced Industry Capability: Building a well-informed, export-ready industry equipped to meet global standards.

• Improved Supply Chain Connectivity: Strengthening relationships with international stakeholders to ensure seamless operations.

• Deeper Market Engagement: Expanding visibility and demand for Australian avocados through targeted marketing and trade missions.

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Figure 5. Australian Avocados training program in India.

Figure 8. Avocados Australia won an award in Asia Fruit Logistica.

Figure 6. Australian Avocados training program in India.

Figure 9. Gulfood 2022.

Figure 7. Shepard training in Singapore.

Figure 10. Shepard Workshop in Hong Kong 2024.

What Lies Ahead

brand while fostering a sustainable export culture.

The Avocado Trade Development and Market Access Project (2024–2029) is a transformative initiative that aligns with the Avocado Strategic Investment Plan 2022–2026. By addressing critical challenges and leveraging new opportunities, it promises to position Australian avocados as a leading global

With the project’s robust framework, enhanced support pillars, and collaborative approach, the future for Australian avocados has never looked brighter. The industry is ready to embrace this next chapter of growth and success.

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Figure 12. Shepard Workshop in Malaysia 2024.

Figure 11. Study tour and launch mission in India 2024.

Figure 13. Asia Fruit Logistica in Thailand 2022.

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Market Access Update

By Richard Magney, Avocados Australia

China market access

China’s fruit import and export association.

In early December, we saw a delegation of Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) leaders visiting Beijing. The delegation was spearheaded by DAFF Secretary, Adam Fennessy. The visit was to undertake discussion on bilateral matters related to agriculture. A key item of discussion was horticultural market access priorities and importantly progressing mainland apple market access to China. DAFF reported that they hope to receive the green light in the first quarter 2025. Avocados Australia is working hard to ensure avocados are nominated as the next priority from the International Market Access Assessment Panel (IMAAP) pool to join blueberries as the replenished 2x2 for China.

A whole article in this issue of the magazine provides more information and photos covering our attendance at the CIIE.

China Study Tour 26 September – 12 October 2024 The China market study tour project (AV23012) continues to deliver great outcomes for industry with some substantial gains made in China. During the recent Study Tour leg, multiple cities were visited including Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai. The main component of this visit was the participate in the 7th China International import Expo (CIIE), Shanghai, 5-10 November 2024, and a supplementary tour hosted by Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ) in Beijing from 11-12 November 2024. Prior to CIIE, delegates visited Chengdu to meet with Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and Sichuan State-owned Assets Operation and Investment Administration Co Ltd representatives.

China International Import Expo (CIIE) On 5-10 November 2024, Avocados Australia’s Chair, Matt Kleyn, Deputy Chair, Lucia Philip, and CEO, John Tyas, Chief of Export – Market Access, Richard Magney and a delegation of Australian avocado growers and exporters attended the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. While in China, to assist with advancing Australian avocados’ market access, Avocados Australia signed a purchase agreement with Shanghai Huizhan International Trading Co. Ltd. for AUD $300 million and a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with key organisations to pave the way for future trade. The aim of this activity was to further demonstrate Avocados Australia’s commitment to do all it can to progress technical market access for Australian avocados, by attending China’s largest import expo, strengthening stakeholder relations, and showing the enormous interest in Australian avocados in China.

Avocados Australia signed MOUs with JD Super, a prominent e-commerce platform and number one online fresh fruit trader, Joy Wing Mau, the largest fruit importer in China, and the China Chamber of Commerce of Import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CFNA),

Inbound trade and study mission from Sichuan State-owned Assets Operation and Investment Administration Co., Ltd. After a successful meeting in Chengdu, a delegation of leaders from Sichuan State-owned Assets Operation and Investment Administration Co., Ltd visited Australia.

The Sichuan delegates visited on Wednesday 4 December 2024 and Avocados Australia, in association with Trade and Investment Queensland, hosted the Inbound Study Mission and personally meet with these key Chinese stakeholders to further progress our trade relationship. These delegates represented an organisation that deals with wholesale and retail trade in China.

They are the largest agricultural state-owned enterprise in Sichuan, which owns and manages a cold chain food distribution network with access to around 12,000 retailers/vendors specifically in the West China region and they were keen to add Australian avocados to their product portfolio. A gallery of photos from this visit also appears in this issue of our magazine.

Fresh and Secure Trade Alliance Update (AM22000) Avocados Australia’s engagement with the Fresh and Secure Trade Alliance (FASTA) is ongoing. An independent HIA project is moving forward. Submissions closed early December for fumigation quality trials, which will feed into a FASTA efficacy trial for fumigation. Trials will cover Hass and Shepard. These trials will help bolster existing data sets for new and improved market access.

Letters to Prime Minister, Mr Albanese, and Leader of the Opposition, Mr Dutton Avocados Australia wrote letters to our country’s leaders expressing the imminent need to prioritise avocados for new export markets. This included the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the new Premier of Queensland. State and Federal leaders in avocado electorates were also copied into the letters. The letters have triggered a positive chain of events whereby Shadow Minister for Trade, Mr Kevin Hogan, has written to incumbent ministers, Farrell and Collins, to encourage greater support and prioritisation. Further, face to face meetings are afoot with Littleproud, Katter and Pitt; members for Maranoa, Kenndy and Hinkler, respectively.

The Premier of Queensland responded instructing that he has involved Minister Perrett who will work with the Hon Ros Bates MP, Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training, to ensure they provide ongoing advocacy of this matter through the Ministerial Council on Trade and Investment.

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Avocados Australia signs $300 million purchase agreement with Shanghai Markets

By Anna Petrou, Avocados Australia

Chinese dignitaries and Avocados Australia China Trade Mission participants mark a Memorandum of Understanding signing at the CIIE.

From 5 to 10 November, Avocados Australia’s Chair, Matt Kleyn, Deputy Chair, Lucia Philip, CEO, John Tyas, Chief of Export – Market Access, Richard Magney and a delegation of Australian avocado growers and exporters attended the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. While in China, to assist with advancing Australian avocados’ market access, Avocados Australia signed a purchase agreement with Shanghai Huizhan International Trading Co. Ltd. for AUD $300 million and a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with key organisations to pave the way for future trade. These activities further demonstrated Avocados Australia’s commitment to do all it can to progress technical market access for Australian avocados, by attending China’s largest import expo, strengthening stakeholder relations, and showing the enormous interest in Australian avocados in China.

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To confirm, Australia still does not have access to China for Australian avocados, it is up to the Australian and Chinese Governments to determine the negotiation process and timeframe. That is why Avocados Australia is doing all it can to persuade Australian Government decision makers to progress market access negotiations including sending letters directly to the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and the Premier of Queensland. To date, both sides have expressed their support and, at time of writing, a number of meetings with certain government officials will be taking place.

Briefly, the Shanghai Huizhan International Trading Co. Ltd. is a multi-qualification import and export trade service platform enterprise invested and managed by Shanghai Huizhan Fruit & Vegetable Wholesale Market. The markets have committed to pre orders of AUD $300 million worth of avocados from Australian growers and exporters as

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soon as access is granted by the General Administration of Customs China. This unprecedented purchase agreement shows that Australian avocados are a valuable commodity and conducting negotiations for market access makes sense and would be in the best interests of both the Australian and Chinese Governments.

Avocados Australia signed MOUs with JD Super, a prominent e-commerce platform and number one online fresh fruit trader, Joy Wing Mau, the largest fruit importer in China, and the China Chamber of Commerce of Import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CFNA), China’s fruit import and export association.

At the CIIE the Australian avocados stand, that was part of the Taste of Queensland pavilion within the Australian pavilion, attracted a lot of attention and Chinese delegates showed great interest in the Australian avocados brought in just for the occasion.

For this event, Avocados Australia partnered with Chinese company More Yoghurt to provide CIIE attendees with avocado smoothies made with fresh Australian avocados that were brought to Shanghai under special protocol conditions.

Avocados Australia cooperated with the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), General Administration of Customs China, CIIE Bureau, Austrade, Trade and Investment Queensland, and logistic partners DHL and Cosco, to secure the special protocol that enabled fresh samples of Australian avocados to be available and served during the Expo. Exporters, GreenSkin Avocados and The Avolution participated in the logistics program and in total about 800kgs of Australian avocados were sent to Shanghai. This achievement could not have been possible without the help of DAFF, Austrade, Trade Investment Queensland, General Administration of Customs China, CIIE Bureau, DHL and Cosco.

The Australian avocados’ stand was extremely popular and created great excitement about the future prospect for Australian avocados in China. Delegates could sample the fresh Australian avocados and the Australian avocado and More Yogurt smoothies which drew a huge crowd. One of China’s leading celebrities and influencers, Zhu Xun, a female television host for China Central Television (CCTV), loved the smoothies and encouraged the crowd to try some.

It was a brilliant piece of promotion given that Zhu has a huge loyal following and attracts over 1 billion viewers with her television shows. Zhu’s television program featured the Australian avocados stand and the resulting coverage attracted over 5.143 million views (you can view it via this short link https://bit.ly/3VGm6dE).

John Tyas, Avocados Australia’s CEO, was delighted with the interest in Australian avocados and said that the Australian avocado More Yoghurt smoothies were a hit with delegates, buyers, and the public.

Above, Chinese television host Zhu Xun at the Australian avocados stand chatting with Treena Welch from GreenSkin Avocados at China’s largest import expo in Shanghai, 9 November 2024.

Avocados Australia’s Chair, Matt Kleyn, addresses Chinese dignitaries with all the Avocados Australia study tour participants present.

“It is clear that China is very keen to have access to Australian avocados and Australian growers and exporters are very keen to do business, we just need the technical market access,” he said.

The Australian Government’s two current market access priorities for China are apples and blueberries. Avocados Australia hopes that negotiations for apples will be successfully concluded soon, but the date is still not known.

Avocados Australia hopes that, once apples are approved, avocados are selected to replenish the apples in the 2X2 negotiation, with the new two priorities being set as avocados and blueberries.

“Given the tremendous support and demand for our avocados in China, reflected by the AUD $300 million purchase agreement and three strategic MoUs, we would be excited for the Chinese Government to have the option to assess our Australian avocado application,” said Tyas.

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The Memorandum of Understanding signings brought key stakeholders together, advanced trade relations and work to pave the way for future trade opportunities.

Matt Kleyn offering Chinese dignitaries smoothies prepared on site using Aussie avocados.

Avocados Australia would like to thank the Queensland Government, and Trade and Investment Queensland for their assistance.

the cost of our media program in China - Rockridge Fresh, Australian Produce Partners, GreenSkin Avocados and the Majestic Fruit Company Pty Ltd. Many Chinese media outlets were keen to learn more about the Australian avocado industry's ambitions in China and when they can expect to be able to buy this wonderful Australian product in China.

Avocados Australia will continue to keep industry informed on the progress of China market access as soon as information becomes available.

While in China, Avocados Australia’s activities attracted 81 pieces of media coverage in leading mainland China media outlets. Avocados Australia would also like to sincerely thank the contributing Australian avocado businesses that provided additional financial support to Avocados Australia to cover

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Avocados Australia co-hosts Study Mission delegates from Sichuan, China

By Anna Petrou, Avocados Australia

On Wednesday 4 December 2024, Avocados Australia, in association with Trade and Investment Queensland, hosted an Inbound Study Mission from the Sichuan State-owned Assets Operation and Investment Administration Co Ltd. It was our honour to personally meet with the Chinese delegates and further progress our trade relationship. The delegates represent an organisation that deals with wholesale and retail trade in China. They are the largest agricultural state-owned enterprise in Sichuan, and own and manage a cold chain food distribution network with access to around 12,000 retailers/ vendors specifically in the West China region and are eager to add Australian avocados to their product portfolio.

Importantly, during the trade visit the General Manager of the Sichuan SOE, Xiang Xueming, and John Tyas Avocados Australia's CEO signed a Memorandum of Understanding that paves the way for future collaboration.

While in Queensland the delegates also took part in a tour of the Brisbane Markets at Rocklea, heard business presentations from two leading growers-exporters, toured the QDPI's Ecosciences Precinct at Dutton Park and this was followed by a visit to Anderson Horticulture to look at rootstocks and avocado tissue culture.

Avocados Australia expects to host more inbound trade missions this year.

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The December 2024 Inbound Trade Mission’s MOU Signing brought together key representatives from the Sichuan State-owned Assets Operation and Investment Administration Co Ltd, Avocados Australia, The Avolution and GreenSkin Avocados.

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Avocados Australia’s two new directors

By Anna Petrou, Avocados Australia

As many of you know, on 22 October the AAL Annual General Meeting took place in Atherton and the Board meeting that took place on the following day included the addition of two new directors. Lawrence Masasso (the second director for North Queensland), and Duncan Wells (the second director for Western Australia) have already started contributing to a range of activities. Growers in North Queensland and Western Australia can contact Lawrence and Duncan directly.

To help introduce them to you all here are their brief bios and contact details.

Duncan Wells - Western Australia Director Duncan has been working with Alterra Limited since 2021 and in 2023 took up the position of General Manager.

Alterra is known as a responsible developer of agricultural land and water assets based in Western Australia.

Duncan has a Bachelor of Agribusiness from Curtain University and has been growing avocados for four years.

He was attracted to becoming involved with avocados when he had the opportunity to be part of a greenfields avocado project in the Manjimup/Pemberton region and gained insights from developing, growing and managing a 100-hectare avocado operation. He is particularly passionate about “growing avocados and discovering new approaches in orchard production through leading R&D.” He is keen to represent WA avocado growers and to act in the best interests of the Australian avocado industry.

Lawrence Masasso - North Queensland Director Lawrence’s family has been working the land since his grandparents first established their farm in the late 1930s. After completing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Queensland Lawrence returned to the farm in 1990, five years later the family planted their first avocado trees. He owns and runs Rocky Creek Orchards with his family in Tolga, North Queensland. They grow 150 hectares of avocado trees including Hass and Shepard varieties. They also run a commercial packing shed packing avocados for 23 growers from all over Far North Queensland. Outside of his business he has been actively involved in a number of organisations supporting the industry including a locally owned farmer cooperative and the Tinaroo Water Committee.

Duncan Wells Western Australia Director

He served in a working party to review the Barron Water Management Plan and is a member of the Ag Advisory Committee to the Tablelands Regional Council. He is passionate about helping the industry achieve sustainable returns and, “I would like to encourage a renewed focus on achieving consistent high-quality supply into the domestic market.” He is especially positive about what can be achieved by the recent focus of Avocados Australia around access to new and exciting export markets.

Lawrence’s email address is l.masasso@avocado.org.au or you can call 0438 954 885.

Lawrence Masasso North Queensland Director

Duncan can be emailed at d.wells@avocado.org.au or you can call 0414 343 336.

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Overseas retailers & importers take part in WA Inbound Trade Mission

By Anna Petrou, Avocados Australia

The WA Inbound Trade Mission Avocados Australia jointly hosted in association with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development on 4-7 November 2024 was very successful. The 15 participating overseas importers and retailers saw firsthand the region’s avocado production and packing facilities and how quality Australian avocados are grown. The Minister for Agriculture and Food the Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC and Avocados Australia’s WA Director Brad Rodgers, personally met with the delegates and the Minister addressed them at a dinner function. The delegates had the opportunity to eat locally grown avocados and they indicated that they liked the smooth texture and taste.

On this occasion the delegates represented four countries, India, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Japan. More delegates will be hosted as there are plans for another Inbound Trade Mission this year.

Avocados Australia was very fortunate to have the support of the WA Minister for Agriculture and Food the Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC who joined Avocados Australia’s WA Director Brad Rodgers in personally meeting the delegates and networking with them.

The Inbound Trade Mission is an initiative of the Avocado market access and trade development (AV20004) project, led by Avocados Australia, that has been funded by Hort

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Above from left, Avocados Australia’s WA Director Brad Rodgers, the Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC and Flora Zhang Avocados Australia’s General Manager - Export.

Innovation, using the avocado research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

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Sad Farewell to Hayleigh Dawson It is with sadness that we recently had to say farewell to Hayleigh Dawson, Avocados Australia’s Domestic Market Development Manager. Hayleigh had been with Avocados Australia for almost five years. Her position was a new position created to drive domestic market demand focused on engaging with suppliers, retailers and Hort Innovation.

Hayleigh will be taking up a position with the Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG). She will be working in a strategic role and is keen to develop her career.

John Tyas, Avocados Australia’s CEO, believes that Hayleigh did a superb job and wished her well.

“Hayleigh has been a very highly regarded member of our team, we will certainly miss her, and on behalf of the whole Avocados Australia team I wish her well for the future,” he said.

The Domestic Market Development Manager role has been funded by Avocados Australia since it was created five years ago. We have undertaken industry consultation with the main avocado marketers to assess the value of the role and to seek feedback on any changes that should be made. The feedback we received confirmed that the role has delivered great benefits and there was overwhelming support for it to continue. The Avocados Australia board has supported the move to refill the role as soon as possible.

Hayleigh Dawson has moved on from Avocados Australia and taken on a position at QFVG.

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Hort Innovation launch Hort Innovation Venture Fund

By Hort Innovation

What has been described as the world’s first horticulturefocused venture capital fund has been launched to help combat the rising costs of farming and declining fruit and vegetable consumption in Australia.

Led by Hort Innovation, in partnership with Australianheadquartered investment firm Artesian, a non-levy co-investment fund of up to $60 million is on offer to high-growth, early-stage startups. The aim is to fast-track innovative products and services from inception to market readiness.

Hort Innovation’s CEO Brett Fifield said now more than ever, the need to diversify investment approaches and bring onboard new thinking to benefit industry is critical.

“The Australian horticulture industry is facing unprecedented challenges - high production costs, labour issues, extreme weather impacts to name a few,” he said.

Artesian will manage the Hort Innovation Venture Fund, with initial investments in eligible businesses to be made over the next five years.

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Key Hort Innovation Venture Fund focus areas include: • Increasing productivity: Helping Australian growers to become more adaptable, resilient and financially sustainable. This may be in the use of AI to predict what to do and when to do it, new automation options, or the use of satellite technology to guide decision-making.

• Sustainability: to deliver new innovations Australian growers of fruit, vegetables, nuts, turf and nursery plants can employ. For example, enhancing monitoring capabilities to optimise water use and viable options to reduce chemical use.

• Consumption: to drive demand and meet changing consumer preferences and encourage healthy living. For example, naturally breeding produce that is nutrient dense, with a long shelf life while being aesthetically pleasing.

• Workforce: Opportunities to upskill existing industry participants and expand local career opportunities in horticulture, particularly in the science and technology arenas.

Co-investors, growers, or start-ups can find out more about Hort Innovation’s Frontiers online here: www.frontiers.au.

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Hort Innovation’s Annual Investment Plan for 2024/25

By Gemma Burger, Hort Innovation

The 2024/25 Hort Innovation annual investment plan is available and details all current levy-funded investments and the pipeline of endorsed projects for this financial year.

Use this short link to access the plan on the Hort Innovation website: https://bit.ly/3W38oSr. The levy funds are strategically allocated to ensure long-term industry sustainability and growth. Almost 50 per cent of levy funds have been channeled into marketing and demandbuilding activities, to support the forecast increasingly strong supply of fruit. A snapshot of the 2023/2024 domestic and international marketing campaigns are also available on the Hort Innovation website if you are interested to see what was achieved.

With increasing supply, the levy has been critical in supporting export market development. The newly codesigned levy-funded AV23003 Market Access and Trade Development project led by AAL takes over from the previous project which carved great inroads to establish Australian avocados in developing international markets.

Levy-funded production research and development projects have focused on improving avocado quality, optimising production efficiency and managing pest risks. The return on investment for these projects has consistently shown positive benefit-cost ratios, indicating significant value to growers.

Examples of impact published on the Hort Innovation website include AV18007 – Avocado sunblotch viroid survey, and AV18002 – Implementing precision agriculture solutions in Australian avocado production systems.

R

While the levy system continues to be instrumental in supporting the avocado industry's rapid growth, challenges remain. Whilst levies have increased with increased production, inflation has reduced the buying power of levy funds over time. Challenging market prices and future projections of continued production growth reinforce the need for continued demand-building investments. The FY 24/25 planned investments, all listed in the Annual 80 Investment Plan, include a continued focus on demand creation initiatives for domestic and international markets, as well as production efficiency and fruit quality.

For more information on your levy investments, please reach out to Gemma Burger from Hort Innovation on gemma.burger@horticulture.com.au or call 0458 650 876.

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Varroa Mite (Varroa destructor) Management Update

By Anna Petrou, Avocados Australia

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is currently present in New South Wales and in northern Victoria. Recently detections have gotten closer to the Queensland border. You can track its spread via the NSWDPI heat map (https://bit.ly/45uBiwz).

As you may know, Varroa destructor is an external parasitic mite that attacks European honey bees and the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana). This mite is thought to be one of the greatest threats to our honey and honey bee pollination plant industries. Avocados Australia has been providing growers with updates, information and resource links about alternative pollinators and this will continue. This

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information has included the findings of the avocado levy funded R&D Projects working on pollination.

Growers who manage their own bee hives can register for FREE training, take part in Varroa Management Workshops, find information on monitoring, reporting and see updates on varroa management on the dedicated website here: www.varroa.org.au.

All webinars are free to attend but registrations are essential (go to www.varroa.org.au/training).

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Growers are being encouraged to do the following: • Remain compliant through the response, follow directions given by the agency in your jurisdiction and tap into the FREE training, regularly monitor hives if required, and report detections.

• Keep thorough records.

• If growers use commercial pollination services, they need to stay in contact with beekeepers for updates and ensure they are compliant.

• Growers can contact the response’s “Varroa Development Officers” via the online form (located online here: www.varroa.org.au/vdo).

Varroa Development Officers (VDOs) Varroa Development Officers are available to support and advise beekeepers on all aspects of varroa management.

Varroa Development Officers are critical members of the National Varroa Mite Management Program. Their role involves helping recreational and commercial beekeepers understand and implement Varroa management techniques, improve hive health and undertake sustainable hive practices.

developed its first edition of their ‘On Farm Reference Guide for Honeybee Management’.

The aim of this guide is to aid in providing a safer environment for honeybees during pollination on farm.

Year-round contributions are needed to provide a better environment for honeybees to complete your pollination needs. This is a guide only and may be adapted as required to suit your crop time and pollination needs. Access the guide directly by using the QR code provided on your mobile phone or entering this link in your web browser: https://bit.ly/3VESm0I. The guide is also available on the Best Practice Resource (enter this short link in your web browser: https://bit.ly/3VAV87i).

Feedback & Questions Growers can provide feedback or questions about the response directly to Avocados Australia’s Biosecurity Industry Liaison Officer by emailing co@avocado.org.au or call 0488 384 222.

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Working in severe weather – Quick Tips

By Anna Petrou, Avocados Australia

Cyclone Kirrily – Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Meteorology.

As growers are aware, workers working outside are at greater risk of exposure to severe weather conditions. This can include extreme heat or cold, hail or dust storms. Each state or territory has a workplace health and safety authority that can provide advice for workplaces experiencing severe weather.

Weather conditions such as storms, wind, rain, lightning, fog and hail pose serious health and safety risks.

Workplaces are expected to have measures in place to manage these risks to health and safety, including:

A useful website to assist growers is the Safe Work Australia website (enter this short link in your web browser to access: https://bit.ly/4gzBeBE or use the QR code provided). It has information and resources for keeping workplaces safe during severe weather conditions.

Working indoors (where possible) Postponing outside work Providing access to shelter Securing structures and objects and turning power off Providing protective equipment, such as eye protection and waterproof clothing

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Ideally eliminating exposure to hazardous weather is the best protection. For example, scheduling tasks that can be completed indoors, or delaying until the weather is no longer hazardous.

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On-Farm Biosecurity Adoption in the Australian Avocado Industry: Focus Groups to Identify Barriers and Next Steps

By Bridie Carr, Mandy Christopher, Renata Grunennvaldt (DPI), and Declan McCauley and Monique L. Sakalidis (WA DPIRD)

A series of regional focus group workshops will take place across key avocado-growing regions to identify barriers to adopting on-farm biosecurity measures. These workshops will be held in New South Wales, Queensland, Tristate, and Western Australia at the dates and locations listed below.

Grower participation, from both large and small businesses, is essential to shaping the next steps in promoting effective and practical biosecurity practices for the avocado industry.

These events will be part of the Hort Innovation-funded Avocado Industry Biosecurity Strategy 2022–2026 (AV21002), led by Avocados Australia Ltd (AAL). This strategy aims to enhance the industry’s approach to biosecurity

Interested in participating in one of the regional focus groups? Scan the QR code.

risk management by increasing grower awareness and understanding of on-farm biosecurity practices that will help prevent the introduction and spread of exotic pests. If such pests were to arrive, they could have a catastrophic impact on both the businesses of individual growers and the broader Australian avocado industry.

Region

Date and time

Venue

North Queensland – Mareeba

16 January 2025 – 9–11:30am

Mareeba Research Station

Central Queensland – Bundaberg

25 February 2025 – 9–11:30am

Bundaberg Research Station

Central NSW- Comboyne

11 March 2025 – 9–11:30am

Comboyne Showgrounds

South Queensland – Toowoomba

25 March 2025 – 9–11:30am

Leslie Research Station

Western Australia – Manjimup

8 April 2025 – 9–11:30am

Manjimup Research Station

Western Australia – Bunbury

9 April 2025 – 9–11:30am

Bunbury Research Station

Western Australia – Perth

10 April 2025 – 9–11:30am

WA DPIRD Canningvale

Tristate – Dareton

TBC April – 9–11am

Dareton Research Station

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Growers voice to lead development of onfarm biosecurity strategies

Economic benefits of implementing biosecurity measures

It is important to emphasise that adopting the identified onfarm biosecurity practices will not be mandatory for growers.

The goal of these workshops is to empower growers to lead the conversation, and to help project staff better understand the regional barriers to adoption. These sessions will also provide growers with the opportunity to guide discussions on how the industry can improve regional awareness and communicate effective prevention strategies that protect both their businesses and the broader industry.

Adopting on-farm biosecurity practices to manage identified risk pathways serves as an insurance policy for growers, protecting both their individual businesses and the wider industry. These practices are designed to mitigate risks that could severely impact production and lead to substantial economic losses. A recent survey of 70 growers (approximately 10% of the sector) indicates a general recognition of the importance of biosecurity. However, many growers are concerned that the costs of implementing these measures may outweigh the perceived benefits. It’s important to note that not all on-farm biosecurity practices are costly. Lowcost measures, such as basic signage, enhancing hygiene practices, setting up QR code visitor sign-ins, designating visitor parking areas, and maintaining farm boundaries can be put in place without imposing a major financial burden on growers. When integrated into broader biosecurity plans, these practical, cost-effective strategies can help reduce the likelihood of pest incursions and protect both individual businesses and the avocado industry at large.

New insight on prevention of key pests that could impact avocado These workshops will also offer growers valuable insights into the risks from new pests and some ways to mitigate these risks. Participants will gain a better understanding of the high-priority pests of concern, how these pests could potentially arrive on their farms, and the economic impact a biosecurity incursion could have, particularly in terms of market access. They will also learn about simple, costeffective biosecurity practices that are easy to implement but can significantly help safeguard their businesses for the long term. For growers interested in learning more and sharing their perspectives, these workshops provide an important opportunity to engage with the key issues surrounding biosecurity in the industry.

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NEWS

Insight from other industries that have been impacted by exotic pests While biosecurity risks are often sidelined due to the daily demands of managing a farm, the avocado industry is wellpositioned to develop proactive frameworks and strategies.

By implementing on-farm biosecurity practices, growers can reduce the potential damage from pest incursions, particularly when prevention and preparedness measures are lacking.

For many growers, this is not a hypothetical concern—some have already experienced the severe impacts of incursions like Panama TR4 in bananas, citrus canker, or varroa mite, and fully understand the critical importance of taking proactive steps to safeguard both their businesses and the industry.

On-farm biosecurity activities to date The on-farm biosecurity practices component of the project has delivered key activities focused on identifying exotic pests that could potentially threaten the industry and the pathways through which they could enter. Additionally, the project has conducted a benchmarking survey to assess current biosecurity practices. Key activities include: Avocado High-Priority Pest and Pathway Analyses: Led

by DPI’s Dr Mandy Christopher, these analyses provide a technical understanding of identified pests of concern, explored how these pests could potentially reach Australian avocado farms, and, in turn, identified the on-farm biosecurity practices that growers can implement to manage these risks effectively.

On farm biosecurity workshop: In August 2023, led by DPI and WA DPIRD, this grower-focused industry workshop brought together regional representative growers, industry leaders, and technical experts. The workshop aimed to review and discuss the information gathered up to that point, including

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

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Biosecurity News –

insights from industries that have experienced major incursions, pest analyses, and identified risk pathways. Participants also explored potential practices to manage these risks.

Benchmarking Survey: This survey, completed by 70 growers (representing 10% of the industry), aimed to assess grower perceptions of on-farm biosecurity and the extent to which they have implemented specific biosecurity prevention measures. The results provided valuable insights into growers’ preparedness and the challenges they face in adopting these measures.

If you wish to add your thoughts to the on-farm biosecurity benchmarking survey, it can still be accessed using this link or the QR code provided https://bit.ly/3zOXCHm.

• Interest in further adoption: Growers who have not yet adopted certain biosecurity practices expressed a willingness to do so, provided that further information and guidance are available.

The specific biosecurity practices assessed in the survey were those recommended during the on-farm biosecurity workshop held in August 2023 and outlined in the current Avocado On-Farm Biosecurity Manual.

A copy of the On-farm Biosecurity Benchmarking Survey Report (AV21002 – June 2024) is available from the Best Practice Resource (BPR) Library. Enter this link into your web browser then log in and you will automatically be directed to the BPR Library – look under the “Biosecurity” heading: avocado.org.au/best-practice-resource/library/.

Moving Forward Benchmarking survey outcomes so far The survey results highlighted several important findings: • Biosecurity is a major concern: Growers view biosecurity risks as a significant threat to their business and recognise the potential impact of pest incursions.

• Investment concerns: Although growers understand the importance of biosecurity, many are concerned that the costs of implementing biosecurity measures may outweigh the perceived benefits.

The insights gathered from each regional focus group will contribute to the development of an on-farm biosecurity practices adoption strategy, guiding future efforts to support and strengthen the avocado industry’s biosecurity efforts.

The project team is dedicated to equipping growers with the necessary resources, tools, and information to improve biosecurity preparedness, ensuring the industry is wellprepared to manage biosecurity risks and protect their businesses and Australian avocado production.

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NEWS

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MARKETING UPDATE Australian Avocado Domestic Marketing Program: An Update

By Victoria Zourkas, Senior Brand Manager, and Emma Day, Senior Marketing Manager, Hort Innovation The Australian Avocado domestic marketing program continues to build momentum, delivering innovative campaigns that raise awareness, drive engagement and encourage more Australians to choose avocados as a tasty staple in their daily diets. Through a blend of creative storytelling, strategic partnerships, and targeted outreach across social media, earned media, paid media, and food service channels, the program is effectively positioning Australian avocados as a versatile and healthy choice for every occasion.

Social Media Activity Pip-com coming to social media

With TikTok’s success driving a shift towards entertainmentfocused storytelling, brands are now prioritising creative, engaging content to boost engagement and reach and establish a strong cultural presence. Taking this into consideration, in

November we launched The Adventures of Avo, Cado, and Pip – a sit-com style social media content series designed to make Australian Avocados an iconic part of Aussie culture. Using classic sitcom tropes like theme songs and crowd laughter, the 18-episode series humorously highlights avocados’ taste, versatility, and health benefits through the daily adventures of three characters – Avo, Cado, and Pip. Debuting on the new Australian Avocados TikTok channel, the series taps into a unique audience – 34% of TikTok users are not on Instagram and 48% are not on Facebook.

This expansion is helping Australian Avocados reach new, incremental audiences and further spread the word about the everyday appeal of avocados in a fun, memorable way. Two episodes per quarter are being featured in the social media ad campaign, with episode one already reaching 1.4 million people and 162,000 TikTok users.

Screen shots of ‘The Adventures of Avo, Cado & Pip” in action.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

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Collaboration with Content Creator Lil Eets

To further expand Australian Avocados’ brand awareness across social media, we partnered with Lilian Kaskoutas, aka @Lileets, a well-known foodie content creator with a knack for creating aesthetic, yet simple-to-make recipes. With a combined following of 34.6k across Instagram and TikTok (81% Australian-based), and an impressive engagement rate of 4.06%, Lilian has a captivated audience ready to hear about the incredible taste, versatility, and health benefits of Australian Avocados. Whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Lilian’s recipes are shining the spotlight on avocados and offering new ways to enjoy them every day.

The partnership has already achieved remarkable results.

Lilian’s first three videos, boosted through paid strategies, have collectively reached 1.34 million people on Meta and 250,000 TikTok users to date.

Lilian Kaskoutas, aka @Lileets, a well-known foodie content creator has a knack for creating aesthetic, yet simple-to-make avocado recipes.

Earned Media Highlight – King Charles Loves an Avocado In October, just before King Charles III’s visit to Australia, it was revealed that the King enjoys half an avocado for his lunch daily to stay fueled up and healthy for his royal duties. Seizing this perfect opportunity, the Australian Avocados Hort Innovation Marketing and Thinkerbell team quickly put their heads together to design a limited-edition commemorative avocado spoon and holder – fit for a king!

This royal-worthy avocado carriage, complete with four golden legs and a spoon adorned with a gold crest featuring a unique avocado emblem, is a tribute to both His Majesty’s healthy eating habits and his historic visit to Australia.

Thanks to a valuable media partnership between Thinkerbell and JCDecaux, our avocado homage was displayed on 16 large-format digital panels in prime locations- including around Sydney Airport to capture the attention of the King upon his arrival. It is estimated that these outdoor panels enabled us to reach over a quarter of Sydney’s population at 1.225 million, 2.3 times on average.

To drive editorial and broadcast mentions, this PR initiative was shared with top-tier journalists and producers, generating ten pieces of earned news coverage with a total reach of over 1.7 million. Top news hits included a radio segment on leading Perth AM station 6PR and online news outlet New Idea Food.

The story was also widely shared on social media, including the Australian Avocados Instagram, further amplifying reach.

The campaign generated tremendous buzz, with activity across outdoor placements, earned media and social media reaching close to 3 million Aussies, positioning Australian Avocados as a fruit fit for royalty.

Aussie Avocados Going for Gold Running since July 2024, the Go Green Gold Campaign builds on the success of the previous Our Green Gold initiative, showcasing avocados’ taste, versatility, and health benefits.

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A successful PR initiative leveraged the fact that King Charles enjoys half an avocado for his lunch every day.

Designed to drive trial and consideration, particularly among light buyers, the campaign launch strategically aligned with the Paris Olympics, maximising visibility and impact.

During the Olympics, Go Green Gold featured on digital retail screens and large-format digital outdoor advertising in high traffic areas across the Australian Eastern Seaboard.

These outdoor panels showcased reactive content tied to Olympic moments, reaching over 2.3 million people and inspiring them to enjoy Australian Avocados. Advertising activity was also complemented by engaging posts across Meta and TikTok. Post-Olympics Go Green Gold extended its narrative, engaging with consumers across a wide range of platforms, including: • Social media: Engaging posts on Meta and TikTok are encouraging daily avocado consumption with playful messaging like “Buttery without the coronary, go green gold”. As of December, these posts have successfully reached an estimated 7 million people on Meta and 2 million on TikTok.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

Examples of “Go Green Gold” creative.

• Digital retail screens: Eye-catching displays near major supermarkets are showcasing avocado pairings like chicken and avocado, capturing the attention of shoppers on the path to purchase. These screens are estimated to achieve a reach of more than 3.9 million people over the campaign period.

• Retail online advertising: Targeted ads and search placements on the Coles and Woolworths websites are encouraging shoppers to ‘Go Green Gold’ and add avocados to their carts.

Australian Avocados in the Foodservice Sector To increase the usage of Australian avocados in foodservice priority outlets like quick service restaurants, cafes, pubs, and clubs, the Australian Avocados Communications and Content Strategy has now been developed. Building on prior market research by FreshLogic, the strategy focuses on creating a targeted foodservice brand and identity, content series and channel strategy to boost adoption.

Activities to engage the Foodservice sector include: • Partnering with top chefs to create versatile and inspiring avocado-centric recipe content.

• Offering how-to guides on avocado varieties, seasonality, and storage to better equip the food service industry.

• Developing provenance and grower stories to highlight the journey from farm to plate, to foster stronger connections between producers and foodservice.

• Designing and developing a dedicated website and social media channels.

• Setting up EDM and WhatsApp communications channels, including a database.

• Planning a foodservice event for May 2025.

Watch this space to see these activities in action in 2025 as we work to bring Australian avocados to menus nationwide!

Stay tuned for the upcoming Australian Avocados Brand Campaign!

Hort Innovation and agency Thinkerbell are in the creative development stages of the next Australian Avocados brand campaign. With the strategy now complete, the focus has now shifted to exploring creative concepts.

Three creative concepts were put into testing, with early results suggesting the ideas are well received and resonating with consumers. The avocado Market Development Panel recently reviewed the progress, expressing alignment with the work so far.

The next phase will focus on narrowing down to one standout creative concept that will be refined to address learnings from testing and brought to life across owned, earned, and paid media channels.

Stay tuned - exciting things are on the way!

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

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Australian Avocado International Marketing Program - An Update

By Emma Day, Senior Marketing Manager, Hort Innovation, and Victoria Zourkas, Senior Brand Manager

The FY25 Australian Avocados export marketing strategy is well underway and working towards expanding the industry’s global presence. The strategy aims to increase export volumes, ensuring the industry keeps pace with growing domestic production while maintaining profitable returns for growers.

At the core of this strategy are three key priorities: 1.

Define – Establish new opportunities for Australian avocados in global markets.

2. Develop – Strengthen preference for Australian avocados and grow category share.

3.

Drive – Grow the overall avocado category internationally.

To achieve these priorities, international marketing efforts have focused on: • Trade missions and trade shows to build a network and interest in Australian avocados.

• Strengthening trade networks and relationships to build deeper understanding and brand preference for Australian avocados.

• Expanding retail footprints across key markets whilst building consumer desire for Australian avocados.

The marketing strategy is focused on Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, India, and Thailand.

The FY25 international marketing strategy is in full swing across the key markets:

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Thailand

India

In Thailand, marketing activities aimed at further developing the retail program with Australian avocados partnering with top retail chains Lotus and AEON to deliver in-store displays, consumer sampling sessions, gift-withpurchase initiatives, OOH placements, and online promotions. Retail activity was also undertaken at Gourmet Market, Villa Market and Rimping Supermarkets, in partnership with Food Gallery, with sales results soon to be released.

To promote Australian avocados in India, major retail chain Reliance have been engaged to deliver retail activities, aligning with key supply periods.

Australian cricket legend Brett Lee is currently acting as a brand ambassador for Australian avocados in India, helping the industry promote the benefits of the product to local consumers via social media and guest appearances. Brett Lee will continue to act as brand ambassador until July 2025.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

activity, revealing that consumers are interested in trying green skin varieties when awareness activities are executed. Sales of Australian avocados during the Queensland season play an important role in increasing the overall sales of Australian avocados, further strengthening the market share of Australian avocados in Malaysia.

Digital adverts sharing campaign key messaging were also placed across major retailers, gathering a total of 655,000 impressions, and close to 120,000 engagements.

Malaysia/Singapore/ Hong Kong

Latest results for Malaysia

Australian avocados have also partnered with top retailers across Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong to deliver retail and promotional activities including point of sale materials and sampling. Activities across all three markets will align with peak Shepard avocado season in February/March 2025, followed by Hass avocado season until June 2025.

In Malaysia, 402 sessions of in-store sampling, chef cooking demonstrations, and roadshows were completed from mid-April to mid-July 2024 Sampling sessions resulted in an overall 68% sales increase during the activation period, with both Shepard and Hass varieties seeing a sales uplift.

The Shepard variety did exceptionally well throughout the promotional

YouTube advertising placement Advertising placements (non-skippable ads) are now live across the 5 markets (Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong) with more than 1.05 million cumulated views just for the month of November.

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MARKETING UPDATE

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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Benchmarking Program unveils Report on 2023 Growing Season

By Clinton Muller, RMCG A new report outlining the Australian avocado industry’s performance during the 2023 growing season is now available, highlighting important insights into the productivity and profitability of the sector.

The latest Avocado Benchmarking National Report was produced using data from individual farm businesses across Australia’s key production regions for the season ending 2023. The data was validated with participating growers, representing 17% of national production for that year, with aggregated data sense checked among key industry stakeholders. The 2023 report provides a comparative analysis against data from the 2022 growing season.

Now in its second year of delivery, Avocado industry benchmarking (AV22004) is a five-year program funded by Hort Innovation using the avocado research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. The project is delivered by independent agricultural consulting group, RMCG, with support from Howard Hall at Pinnacle Agribusiness.

Benchmarking allows both new and experienced growers to access valuable financial and production insights to inform their decision making, assess the performance of their business over time and identify areas for improvement. It also indicates how their business is performing compared to others in the industry.

The benchmarking data can also support the wider industry to explore market opportunities and changes in environment, social and governance (ESG) requirements, or inform future investment priorities for the industry.

Benchmarking approach The results in the report are presented in the following categories: • Most profitable – average of the most profitable 25% of businesses, ranked on Return on Assets Managed (ROAM)

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• Average – average across the entire dataset • Least profitable – the average of the least profitable 25% of businesses, ranked on ROAM. ROAM is the key measure of farm performance used to rank farms in this project, as it allows for direct comparison across avocado farms, other agricultural businesses, and sectors within the broader economy. It is calculated by dividing Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) by the value of all managed assets, including leased assets.

EBIT is a key measure of farm performance, as it reflects all earnings and costs before the deduction of interest and tax.

It is particularly useful as it includes non-cash items such as depreciation and imputed (family) labour, providing a clearer picture of a farm’s operating profitability. In addition, it can be used for comparing businesses with different levels of debt, because it is a measure before allowing for finance costs e.g. interest.

Key findings Return on Assets Managed (ROAM)

In 2023, the average ROAM was 2.9%, a notable improvement from 0.2% in 2022. While this indicates a positive shift, it still does not compare particularly well with other investments with similar risk. Additionally, there was considerable variation between the most profitable and least profitable groups.

The most profitable group showed a strong return with ROAM of 9.3% in 2023, which is considered an excellent return for the industry and is considerably higher than the ROAM of -3.4% (a loss) for the least profitable group.

It should be noted however, that not all participants involved in the 2023 benchmarks were involved in the 2022 benchmarks. Therefore, the datasets are somewhat different, and care should be taken when comparing the average for the two years.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

Figure 1: Income, costs and EBIT per producing hectare 2023.

Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) per producing hectare

There was a substantial range in EBIT/ha between the most and least profitable groups (Figure 1). The most profitable group generated, on average, approximately $22,941 EBIT/ha in 2023.

In contrast, the average farm generated around $6,899 EBIT/ ha, while the least profitable group incurred a loss of -$7,177 EBIT/ha.

Orchard yield per producing hectare

The most profitable farms achieved significantly higher yields at 14,612 kg/ha in 2023, which was around 3,750 kg/ha more than the overall average.

In contrast, the least profitable group demonstrated considerably lower yields at 6,778 kg/ha, less than half that of the most profitable group. This variation in yield is a key factor associated with high profitability and underlines the importance of effective orchard management in achieving higher returns (climatic conditions are also likely to be important).

While orchard maturity will influence yield, there was no clear differences in orchard maturity between the most profitable and least profitable groups.

Trends and insights

The report found a substantial range in profitability and results between farms when comparing the most profitable group and least profitable group for the 2023 season. Insights across key areas is outlined below.

• Yield and profitability: High yield per producing hectare is a consistent feature among the most profitable farms, while lower yields are more prevalent in less profitable operations.

The most profitable group generally appears to have much more efficient responses to irrigation water.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

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• Price per tray: The most profitable farms did not appear to receive a significantly higher price per tray than the least profitable farms. The higher profit came more from a lower cost of production per tray.

• Cost of production: The most profitable farms do not necessarily spend significantly more on growing costs per hectare. Instead, their higher yields result in lower production costs per tray, reflecting effective investment in crop management.

• Orchard maturity: The data does not show clear differences in orchard maturity between the most and least profitable groups. Both groups include significant proportions of young plantings. However, for some individual farms, a high proportion of immature trees clearly had a negative impact on profit for the year.

• Labour efficiency: The most profitable farms achieve higher (often more than double) tray output per full-time equivalent (FTE), demonstrating better labour utilisation and cost-effectiveness.

• Packing costs: In general, there appears to be little differentiation in packing costs per tray between the most and least profitable farms.

• Scale: There did not appear to be a clear relationship between scale of business and profit with the most profitable group containing a range of farm sizes.

Comparing the most and least profitable groups provides some insight into opportunities for potential improvement on the least profitable farms. It is risky to assume that simple cause and effect relationships are present. Any evaluation of changes to improve the profitability of a business needs to be conducted with an in-depth understanding of the resources, constraints, goals and farm systems of the individual businesses.

Next steps: Get involved!

While the national avocado benchmarking program is off to a strong start, it relies on a consistent, representative and robust data set to ensure it maximises its value to individual growers and the wider industry.

The project team extends its appreciation to all growers who have participated in the program so far and the wider industry for its support. They strongly encourage as many growers as possible to get involved to ensure the program can better support grower and industry decision making, from individual businesses through to regional and national levels.

There is no cost to participate in the benchmarking program and all information is strictly confidential. Following a site visit, participating growers will receive a personalised, confidential report to compare how their business is performing and potential areas for improvement, and allow comparison against de-identified, aggregated results of other growers in their region and nationally.

The national report will be published on an annual basis.

More information If you would like to be involved in the benchmarking project, please complete the online Expression of Interest form and a project team member will be in touch: surveymonkey.com/r/ avocado_benchmarking_EOI. The 2023 Avocado Benchmarking National Report will be made available from Avocados Australia’s Best Practice Resource. Notification will be provided soon.

Contact: For more information on the benchmarking program, contact Clinton Muller at RMCG on 0498 192 596 or clintonm@rmcg.com.au.

Acknowledgements The Avocado industry benchmarking (AV22004) project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the avocado research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-forprofit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

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TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

Donovan’s Avocados – Fruit Robustness Revealed in Challenge Testing

By John Agnew, Queensland Department of Primary Industries

Within the Monitoring avocado supply chain quality (AV22011) project, QDPI (previously QDAF) is responsible for intercepting and assessing domestic avocado consignments and conducting tracebacks (to investigate potential causes) with packers and growers when quality results are particularly poor or particularly good.

Each consignment is sampled two ways: the STANDARD sample is what typically happens in your supply chains, being taken after ripening treatment and then held at 18-20°C until mediumsoft ripe when internal assessment occurs. The CHALLENGE sample is taken from the same pallet preripening, cool-stored (5°C for Hass and 7°C for Shepard) for two weeks before receiving its ripening treatment. Finally, it’s held at 18-20°C until medium-soft ripe when internal assessment occurs.

Comparing the STANDARD with the CHALLENGE test results enables us to get a sense of fruit robustness. If the results are similar, robustness is considered good. If the CHALLENGE sample is 100% acceptable and has been in supply chain for at least 25 days, then it’s worth doing a “positive traceback.”

That is, asking the packer and grower some questions about how they achieved such a good result. The aim of this conversation is to then share tips with other growers and packers in the hope that the information may inspire changes and help lift the overall standard of fruit quality seen by consumers.

Since mid-2023 we have intercepted, assessed and reported back to packers on 92 consignments.

• 93% of STANDARD samples met or exceeded the quality standard (i.e. at least 90% of fruit with less than 10% internal defects).

Figure 1. Top left: SC176 (Shepard): STANDARD sample, 13 days in supply chain – 100% acceptable; Top right: SC176C (Shepard): CHALLENGE sample, 25 days in supply chain – 100% acceptable; Bottom left: SC184 (Hass): STANDARD sample, 13 days in supply chain – 100% acceptable; Bottom right: SC184C (Hass): CHALLENGE sample, 25 days in supply chain – 100% acceptable.

• 66% of the CHALLENGE samples met or exceeded the quality standard.

• 17% of STANDARD and CHALLENGE sample sets where the CHALLENGE sample fruit age was ≥25 days achieved 100% acceptable fruit.

Fruit from Dons Fort Packing consignments in 2024 displayed particularly good quality and triggered positive tracebacks on two occasions (Figure 1).

I spoke with Clay Donovan, Technical Manager and Darren Enslin, Dons Fort Packshed Manager about their fruit and the practices that support consistent high quality and robustness when supply chain length is challenged.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

Firstly, Clay noted that the consignments which attracted the positive tracebacks came from Donovans’ farm and one of their suppliers’ farms. Donovans’ have a good relationship with their suppliers, fostering a healthy exchange of ideas which has been key. Clay believes that good results are mainly due to – • Optimum nutrition and irrigation where the growers all have great understanding and practical application of both irrigation and nutritional practices, and • Strict grading with rigorous adherence to quality protocols set by consumer, buyer, and internal demands.

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With regard to nutrition, fruit mineral analyses have been conducted by Donovan’s on a small scale “testing blocks that are maybe 70% of the average”, with results showing that N:Ca balance was within recommended limits. Gypsum is applied in split applications enabling more consistent supply of calcium through the season. Smaller amounts of calcium are supplied in custom blend fertilisers which are heavily skewed from pre flowering up until December. Irrigation strategy is focused on minimising stress to facilitate calcium uptake.

Other key strategies they use include: 1.

Feedback to suppliers • As a bare minimum each supplier receives performance reports on every batch, but Darren and Clay are in the process of deep diving into all the production data to give more detailed feedback.

2. Effective orchard disease (rot) management is supported by • Tree density at 200/ha and tree height preferably 6m (upper limit of 8m).

• Testing spray coverage using water sensitive paper Usually at the end of the season so the trees are the tallest and most dense. If the coverage is judged to be good at this point, it is always better after pruning.

• Spray equipment is changed regularly; experimenting with nozzle types, nozzle positioning but ensuring a high volume of water is applied to the top of the tree.

• A trial conducted with Syngenta found resistance to strobilurin fungicide. As a result, Amistar® has been substituted with either Switch® or Score® (under Permit).

• Taking retention samples pre-harvest to test disease potential. This testing has shown that the sandier blocks usually have more disease issues and so they are picked first.

3.

Picking management • Picking does not start until the dew has dried to minimise the amount of nodule damage.

• Exposure to the sun and field heat is minimised. From pick to on-site shed usually takes about 30 minutes. The last bin of the day is usually in the packshed cold room by 8pm.

4. Packshed operations • Taking library trays from every batch - A random fruit sample is taken pre-processing (i.e. no sanitiser or fungicide) and post processing. Fruit is held at ambient until ripe when they are cut, assessed and photographed.

This season they may hold library fruit in cold room for up to 30 days to simulate export supply chain length before assessment.

• Increasing the length of time in cold room before dispatch - Pallets usually have the whole night in cold storage (12 hrs) before trucks load from 7am onward.

This season they will probably extend cold storage to 36 hrs to ensure pulp temperatures are ideal. This has been facilitated by increased cold storage space. Efficiency of existing cold rooms has also been improved.

• Close working relationship with transport company Dons Fort specify set temperatures and include “realtime” loggers in ever 2nd or 3rd pallet in each load.

Truck refrigeration is now turned on at Bundaberg, so truck is cool on arrival at the packshed. Last season Dons Fort started dispatching bigger loads (B-doubles) to remove the need for transhipping in Brisbane. By avoiding offloading and reloading this maintained the cold chain.

More information For further information on supply chain quality monitoring, contact John Agnew from the Department of Primary Industries (john.agnew@daf.qld.gov.au), or Anne Larard (idm@avocado.org.au) from Avocados Australia.

Acknowledgements The project Monitoring Avocado Supply Chain Quality (AV22011) has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the avocado research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Figure 2. A member of the Dons Fort team collecting retention samples pre-harvest to test disease potential.

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TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

Are there other Phytophthoras causing serious disease in the orchards?

By Kay Howard, Bill Dunstan, Giles Hard and Treena Burgess, Murdoch University, Harry Butler Institute

Avocados are cultivated in at least 59 countries in tropical and subtropical regions. Phytophthora root rot, or avocado wilt complex, is caused by the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi (Hardham & Blackman 2018). This pathogen and other oomycetes are some of the worst diseases for avocados worldwide, and they occur in all major avocado-growing regions. A total of 20 Phytophthora species have been reported globally associated with avocado plantations, of these 6 species, P. cinnamomi, P. citricola, P. citrophthora, P. multivora, P. nicotianeae and P. palmivora have been reported in Australian avocado orchards (Marcot et al. 2023).

Another species, Phytophthora mengei was reported from cowpeas collected in 2000 in Queensland in 2000. However, Burgess et al. (2021) determined that this was a misidentification. This was a relief as Phytophthora mengei is only known as a pathogen of avocado in southern California, USA, where it infects the trunks, structural roots and fruit. This is a serious pathogen that we want to keep out of Australia.

Tropical Australia is under sampled and so there are likely to be many more species present, with potential to cause significant yield loss.

Phytophthora species often travel undetected across international borders in the nursery trade as they do not show symptoms early on (Brasier 2008). Australia has strict biosecurity regulations, and the plants-for-planting pathway is strongly regulated (Eschen et al. 2015). Phytophthora species are often found in asymptomatic nursery plants (Migliorini et al. 2015). For example, in an Australian nursery supplying urban trees, 13 described polyphagous (have a large variety of hosts) Phytophthora

species and potential novel species were isolated (Laurence et al. 2024).

In agriculture, Phytophthora root rot causes crop losses between 45 and 90%, with 100% loss possible if control measures are not taken during all stages of establishment, growth and development (Zentmyer 1980).

countries. Phytophthora niederhauserii is pathogenic to avocados in the Canary Islands (Rodriguez-Padron et al. 2018), we have isolates from ornamental plants in WA and so one was also included in this pathogenicity trial. It is not known if phosphite can protect avocado trees from these potential pathogens.

The Phytophthora disease management project AV16007 funded by Hort Innovation Australia, started in November 2018 and concluded in November 2022. While the overall objective of this project was to develop robust, rapid and cost-effective ways to manage Phytophthora root rot for the Australian avocado industry, the focus was on Phytophthora cinnamomi and the use of phosphite to control disease.

The avocado rhizosphere was sampled in four orchards of southwest WA, four in SEQ and two in FNQ, which had some detail of their use of phosphite for control of P. cinnamomi.

In a glasshouse trial, we rated root damage in 2-year-old avocado seedlings to assess the pathogenicity of these other oomycetes. Biosecurity restricted us to using the isolates from WA. Plants were inoculated with one of the five isolates of four Phytophthora species or two isolates of Phytopythium vexans to test their pathogenicity (ability to cause disease). For each isolate there were 10 replicate plants for inoculation, and 10 non-inoculated control plants: a total of 80 plants.

What we found The total number of isolates of P. cinnamomi obtained from sampling was ~265 from avocado orchards, and 12 other oomycetes. Phytophthora cinnamomi was recovered from all sites except one orchard in FNQ. Although P. cinnamomi was the target pathogen, there was recovery of other oomycetes. There were five Phytopythium vexans (syn. Pythium vexans) from two orchards in SEQ, and in two WA orchards there were three isolates of P. multivora, one isolate of P. citricola and three isolates of Phytopythium vexans. This was the first isolate of P. citricola in WA to have its identity confirmed through molecular methods. All these Phytophthora species and Phytopythium vexans are known pathogens of avocado in other

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What we discovered All species caused root rot in avocado (Figure 1). Phytophthora cinnamomi, both P. multivora isolates and Phytopythium vexans isolate (340) caused significantly more root damage compared to the non-inoculated control (Figure 2). The isolates of P. citricola and P. niederhauserii used in this trial only caused minor, non-significant damage to the roots of infected plants.

The two Phytopythium vexans isolates produced very different results; isolate 332 had no significant difference in root damage ratings to the non-inoculated control plants, while isolate 340 had the second highest mean root damage rating comparable to P. cinnamomi (Figure 1).

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Figure 1. Mean (±SE) root damage ratings for 2-year-old avocado saplings (n = 10) inoculated with Phytophthora species. Rating: 0 = no damage, 1 = 1-25, 2 = 26-50, 3 = 51-75, and 4 = 76-100% of roots with disease. Root damage rating means with the same letter are not significantly different.

Figure 2. Images of root systems for the non-inoculated control, Phytophthora cinnamomi (isolate 338) and Phytopythium vexans (isolate 340).

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Outcomes The good news The numbers of these other pathogens are low compared to P. cinnamomi, particularly in our surveys.

Current disease monitoring for P. cinnamomi should detect these pathogens if included in lab analyses.

Continue to use phosphite to control P. cinnamomi as recommended. See this Phytophthora root rot video for more information: https://bit.ly/3BGFOiD. Current stringent hygiene methods should also reduce incursion of these pathogens – e.g., buy ANVAS certified nursery stock and root rot-resistant cultivars and inspect roots for rots before planting.

Continue to use cultural practices that promote healthy tree growth, while discouraging pathogen growth by providing favourable soil conditions (e.g., good drainage, careful irrigation, use of certified disease-free soils and mulches). Refer to the Best Practice Resource “Growing” section for more information: https://avocado.org.au/ best-practice-resource/growing/ (just login and you will be automatically directed to the webpage).

It is now easier to detect other oomycetes by environmental DNA sampling and metabarcoding using high throughput sequencing (Burgess et al. 2017).

It is possible to create soil conditions that suppress development of Phytophthora root rots (Please refer to Farooq et al. "Using soil amendments to manage Phytophthora cinnamomi root rot" in this issue).

Some protection is afforded by providing the best nutrition – e.g., use moderate amounts of nitrogen and avoid excessive amounts of fertilisers.

See the Best Practice Resource “fertilising” section for more information: https://avocado.org.au/ bpr-articles/fertiliser-timing-intervals/ (just login and you will be automatically directed to the webpage).

The bad news Many other species might be ignored by researchers focussed on P. cinnamomi, therefore underestimating their presence.

If not specifically searching for these other pathogens, hidden agents of disease are going undetected.

We are not sure if other oomycetes may also become tolerant to phosphite with prolonged exposure. Are we creating more problems that we are not currently monitoring?

Conclusion The Australian species that we have discovered is probably just the tip of the iceberg, as many of the Phytophthora species found recently in native ecosystems are newly described, and their host range is unknown, so caution is needed to stop spread.

Tolerance to phosphite must be tested in species other than P. cinnamomi as soon as possible. The results for Phytopythium vexans demonstrates

Nurseries that rely on fungicides for disease prevention can produce symptomless plants and/or promote fungicide resistance. This will result in infection after planting. This could infest your orchard.

Resistant rootstocks are not immune to root rot. If they are planted or grown in adverse conditions, they may be killed by a combination these challenges.

the potential for intraspecific variation in pathogenicity between isolates and emphasises the need for testing as many isolates as possible. Therefore, further work should be undertaken on these other oomycetes, as well as looking at them in combination with each other to determine synergistic effects.

References Brasier C (2008) The biosecurity threat to the UK and global environment from international trade in plants. Plant

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Further threats exist as there is an overlap between Phytophthora species detected in native and horticulture ecosystems. For instance, in South Africa, pathogen movement between natural vegetation and avocado orchards has occurred (Engelbrecht et al. 2022).

Pathology, 57, 792-808.

Burgess T, White D, McDougall K, … Hardy G (2017) Distribution and diversity of Phytophthora across Australia. Pacific Conservation Biology 23, 150-62.

Burgess T, Edwards J, Drenth A, … Tan Y (2021) Current status of Phytophthora in Australia. Persoonia 47, 151-77.

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Engelbrecht J, Duong T, Paap T, … van den Berg N (2020) Population Genetic analyses of Phytophthora cinnamomi reveals three lineages and movement between natural vegetation and avocado orchards in South Africa.

Phytopathology 112, 1568-74.

Eschen R, Britton K, Brockerhoff E, Burgess T, … Kimani E (2015) International variation in phytosanitary legislation and regulations governing importation of plants for planting.

Environmental Science Policy 51, 228-37.

Hardham A, Blackman L (2018) Phytophthora cinnamomi. Molecular Plant Pathology 19, 260– 85.

Laurence M, Mertin A, Scarlett K, …

Summerell B (2024) Phytophthora in urban tree planting stock: Are we managing the risk to the urban forest and natural ecosystems? Plant Pathology 73, 2030–42.

Marcot B, Scott P, Burgess T (2023) Multivariate Bayesian analysis to predict invasiveness of Phytophthora pathogens. Ecosphere, 14(6), e4573.

Acknowledgements

Migliorini D, Ghelardini L, Tondini E, Luchi N, Santini A (2015) The potential of symptomless potted plants for carrying invasive soilborne plant pathogens. Diversity & Distributions 21, 1218–29.

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the avocado research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Rodríguez-Padrón C, Siverio F, PérezSierra A, Rodríguez A (2018) Isolation and pathogenicity of Phytophthora species and Phytopythium vexans recovered from avocado orchards in the Canary Islands, including Phytophthora niederhauserii as a new pathogen of avocado. Phytopathology Mediterranean 57, 89-106.

Zentmyer G (1980) Phytophthora cinnamomi and the diseases it causes.

Phytopathological Monograph 10.

American Phytopathology Society, St Pauls MN. 96p

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High-density avocado production under shade netting

By Simon Yeap Research Scientist, and Dario Stefanelli Senior Research Scientist, DPIRD

Shade netting for avocado production During summer in Western Australia, the Carabooda area experiences hot, dry easterly winds that can cause stress-induced fruit drop and reduced avocado yield. Avocado trees are highly sensitive to water stress due to their sub-tropical origin and shallow root system, especially during the flowering, fruit set, and early fruit development stages where a substantial amount of water is critical for fruit yield. Water stress during these physiological growth stages can therefore result in smaller fruit and significant yield losses. Additionally, heat stress and excessive solar radiation can severely damage avocado trees by causing sunburn in leaves, branches, and stems, leaf abscission, shoot and root growth inhibition, decreased fruit set, increased fruit drop, and reduced fruit quality.

Fruit set and fruit quality are also decreased by strong winds due to limb breakage and fruit abrasion.

Shade netting could have the potential

to address these constraints for avocado production in Carabooda by improving the microclimate of the orchard to favour fruit production and reduce fruit defects. Studies have shown that shade netting can improve the marketable yield of avocados by reducing evapotranspiration and the incidence of sunburn and wind damage, which are major rejection factors. Increased fruit size has also been reported under shade netting.

While shade netting is widely used for protecting deciduous fruit crops and citrus, its use in avocado orchards is new and more research is needed to understand its implications for avocado production and canopy management.

Carabooda netting trial A shade netting and plant density trial was established in Carabooda, WA, in November 2020. Approximately 3.5 hectares of netting was erected: the roof has a shade factor of 12% and the walls have a shade factor of 50%. The research has been undertaken as part of the National Tree Crop Intensification

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

in Horticulture Program (AS18000), funded by the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation.

Non-protected avocado crops are conventionally grown at a density of 408 trees per hectare. However, as shade netting structures represent a significant capital cost, it was hypothesised that more intensive production at denser plant spacings will provide a better return on investment.

Avocado trees were planted at densities of 408 and 1108 trees per hectare under netting, allowing us the opportunity to compare: 1.

low-density plantings in the open area and under netting, and

2. low-density and high-density plantings under netting.

Trees in the high-density treatment were pruned to a central leader and a growth retardant (paclobutrazol) applied to maintain tree heights under 4 m to manage overcrowding, light penetration, and fungal disease risk.

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The south side of the net was left open to improve air circulation. For lowdensity plantings, trees were pruned to a vase shape to allow light to penetrate the centre of the tree.

Trees are irrigated with a dual dripsprinkler system, with the bulk of the crop’s water needs supplied via drip irrigation to maximise water use efficiency. The sprinklers are used for controlling frost and to maintain a grass sward between the rows to increase humidity within the orchard.

The drip system consists of two parallel driplines per row at 50 cm apart, with 2 L/h emitters spaced every 30 cm.

Driplines were placed under an 80 cm wide sheet of black plastic mulch, primarily intended to suppress weeds during tree establishment.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is conducting plant and environmental monitoring to assess the effects of shade netting and plant density on Hass avocado fruit quality and yield.

Soil moisture sensors, lysimeters, and weather stations (Figure 1) were installed to assist with irrigation scheduling and improving water use efficiency. Sap flow sensors were also installed in trees to monitor daily growth.

Preliminary findings Improved microclimate

Results showed that shade netting improved the microclimate by decreasing daily evapotranspiration, maximum wind speed, and maximum solar radiation, and increasing maximum relative humidity (Figure 2).

However, there was no effect of netting on air temperature or vapour pressure deficit (VPD). Note, the observed reduction in solar radiation in the open area relative to the netted area from summer 2022-2023 was likely due to spray residue on the pyranometer.

Tree growth and productivity

An earlier flush in 2023 spring growth (between October 2022 and January 2023) was also observed under netting compared to the open area (Figure 3),

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Figure 2. Effect of shade netting on (A) daily evapotranspiration (mm), (B) daily maximum wind speed (km/h), (C) daily maximum solar radiation (W/m2), and (D) Daily maximum relative humidity (%), based on the least significant difference (LSD) at P < 0.05.

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although these differences disappeared over time. However, 2023 harvest results showed no effect of netting on avocado fruit number, yield, or quality.

Under netting, trees in the high-density treatment were not as productive as the low-density treatment; this difference was attributed to the younger age of the trees, which were planted 1 year apart.

The trial will continue to monitor these parameters in the next season.

Sap flow and VPD

Sap flow in avocado trees was monitored as a proxy for stomatal opening and transpiration. Figure 4 illustrates the relationship between VPD and sap flow during summer (December 2022 to February 2023), showing sap flow to increase as VPD increased up to 1.6-1.8 kPa before reaching a plateau. Sap flow was also higher outside of the net, but this was likely attributed to the larger size of the tree compared to those under the net.

While it is known that avocado trees can limit transpiration by closing their stomata in response to increasing VPD (i.e., increasing evaporative demand), the relationship between avocado sap flow, stomatal conductance, and transpiration is not yet well understood at high VPD levels experienced in Carabooda. More research is needed to better understand avocado physiology in hot, dry environments.

Figure 3. Canopy volume (m3) of avocado trees under open and shade netting treatments.

Bars denote the least significant difference between treatments (P < 0.05).

Figure 4. Effect of vapour pressure deficit (VPD, kPa) on sap flow (L/hour) in avocado trees in open low-density (LD), netted low-density, and netted high-density (HD) treatments during summer 2022-2023.

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Insights and challenges

Conclusions

Groundwater salinity and drip irrigation

Shade netting can improve the microclimate of avocado orchards in Carabooda by decreasing daily evapotranspiration, maximum wind speed, and maximum solar radiation, and increasing maximum relative humidity.

The groundwater in Carabooda is marginally saline with an electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.86 dS/m. Ideally, irrigation water salinity should be <0.3 dS/m as avocado trees are sensitive to saline conditions. Yield reductions can occur if the EC of irrigation water is >0.58 dS/m. A fine balance is needed to manage both salinity and water stress to maintain a healthy and productive orchard. While the sandy Bassendean soil at the trial site makes it easier to flush salts from the root zone, its low water-holding capacity also makes it difficult to retain moisture without multiple irrigation events per day.

Irrigating with marginally saline water will be challenging for avocado production under reduced groundwater licence allocations in the future.

With drip irrigation, the grower has seen a noticeable improvement in water use efficiency compared to conventional under-tree micro-sprinklers, allowing him to schedule enough irrigation to flush salts from the root zone. Drip irrigation has also been effective at reducing the effects of salinity by minimising evaporative losses, maintaining soil moisture, and steadily leaching salt.

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Drip irrigation with marginally saline water can successfully establish avocado trees in Carabooda by improving water use efficiency and leaching salt below the root zone.

Ongoing monitoring will be conducted in Carabooda to assess the impact of netting and planting density on avocado tree growth, fruit yield, and fruit quality.

Acknowledgements The National Tree Crop Intensification in Horticulture Program (AS18000) is funded by the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Plant & Food Research, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation – The University of Queensland and the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Hort Innovation using the Almond

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research and development levy, and contributions from the Australian Government.

Particular thanks go to the grower and farm manager for allowing access to the orchard, helping data collection, and making available additional data when requested.

For more information contact Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Dr Simon Yeap, Research Scientist, email: simon.yeap@dpird.wa.gov.au.

DPIRD - Important Disclaimer

The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it.

Copyright © State of Western Australia (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development), 2024.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

Alternative pollinators for avocados

By Renata Grunennvaldt1, Bridie Carr1 and David Cook2 - 1 Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Government, 2 Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Why look for alternative pollinators to bees?

The recent Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) incursion in NSW has highlighted the need for alternative pollinators in avocado production, rather than relying solely on honey bees. Currently, honey bees are viewed as the primary pollinator insect for avocados in both Australia and other avocado-producing countries. Given the risks associated with dependence upon one insect species for pollination, it is advisable to explore other species that could be managed to provide pollination services for avocado crops.

Fruit-set percentages in avocados are typically less than 0.3%. However, hand-pollination can often achieve around 5% fruit set. This suggests that fruit set is likely limited by insufficient pollination and even minor improvements in pollination could boost fruit set and yield. When insects are excluded from avocado trees the trees produce almost no fruit, reinforcing the important role that pollinating insects play in ensuring the transfer of pollen from a male flower to a female flower.

Who visits avocado flowers?

Insect pollinators facilitate avocado pollination and there is evidence of opportunities to improve yield through improved pollination services.

Researchers from Plant & Food Research and the University of New England conducted a study on insects visiting avocado, macadamia, and mango crops in Australia. They examined pollen transfer between flowers and considered landscape factors influencing pollinator populations. They identified three primary pollinator groups for all three crops: honey bees, a native stingless bee

(Tetragonula carbonaria), and nose or rhinid flies (Stomorhina discolor). Hover flies and blow flies were also seen as pollinators as they were found to move pollen between flowers.

A global study highlighted the substantial variation in the abundance of wild insect pollinators, ranging from 90% to as low as 8%, in different locations. This underscores the necessity for growers to closely monitor which insects fulfill the role of primary pollinators in their orchards. The diversity of insects visiting avocado flowers is pivotal for ensuring successful pollination.

In Chile, a study found that wild insects were more effective than honey bees in pollinating avocado trees, especially during dry years, and it emphasised the critical role of wild pollinators, in addition to honeybees, in enhancing crop production.

In Israel, a recent study demonstrated that adding bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) hives to 'Hass' avocado orchards, at a rate of approximately 10 hives per hectare, resulted in 0.5–1.0 bumblebee visits per tree per minute, leading to increased pollination and, consequently, higher yields. Bumblebees are however not permitted on mainland

Australia, although they are present in Tasmania following a 1992 incursion.

Observations on avocado orchards in south-western WA showed that most non-bee flower visits were by hover flies (Melangyna viridiceps and Sphaerophoria macrogaster) and blow flies (Calliphora vicina and C. albifrontalis) (Figure 1). Hover flies mostly foraged on flowers in the morning while blow flies were generally more active in the afternoons.

Opportunity to increase production by exploring the potential of wild pollinators Flies:

Flies can be better in cross-pollinating avocados compared to honey bees because they move randomly through orchards, visiting both male and female flowers. The effectiveness of flies as pollinators varies among species, but orchards often host more than 20 fly species. This means it is likely that some good pollinators will be present, and that pollination can occur whenever the female flowers are open. Unlikely honey bees, flies are active throughout the year and can operate effectively at temperatures well below that of bees (512°C). In 2020, there was a huge influx

Figure 1. An adult western golden-haired blowfly (Calliphora albifrontalis) (Left Hand Side) and adult European blue bottle blow fly (Calliphora vicina) feeding on avocado flowers in south-western WA.

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of hover flies across south-western WA resulting in a 30% improvement compared to pollination using honey bees alone. This was verified using large, multi—tree enclosures (see Figure 2) that contained a ‘nuc’ hive (nucleous hive) of bees within 26 avocado trees.

Blowflies:

Adults of Calliphora dubia have been shown to feed on avocado flowers 3-4 times more frequently than Calliphora albifrontalis; this translated into higher avocado yield in paired-tree enclosures in south-western WA. In terms of fly numbers relative to bee numbers, if we consider 3.5 hives/ha in an avocado orchard, this translates to approx.

158,000 bees/ha. Only around 40% of bees are out foraging at any given time, which is 63,000 bees/ha. Considering an avocado tree density of 320 trees/ ha, this equates to approximately 200 bees/tree. Releasing a similar number of flies could be beneficial and improve final yields. Trials in WA using double this density (i.e., 400 flies/tree in multitree enclosures (Figure 2) have shown an increase in fruit yield through improved pollination (Figure 3).

The yield of Hass avocados at the final harvest was similar between the trees enclosed with C. vicina blow flies and trees in the open area that were pollinated by honey bees brought onto the avocado farm during flowering (Figure 3 Left Hand Side). Fruit drop from first fruitlet count to final harvest typically occurred in trees in the open orchard and the size of fruit pollinated

by C. vicina blow flies was higher compared with fruit pollinated in the open orchard (Figure 3 Right Hand Side).

Figure 2. Paired-tree enclosures (Hass and a Type B tree) and multi-tree enclosures employed to determine the pollination ability of several fly species in south-western WA.

Figure 3. Avocado fruitlet counts and final fruit harvest of Hass avocados (LHS) either under netted enclosures (26 trees) with the blow fly Calliphora vicina at double the density of bees (green), compared with trees not enclosed and in the open orchard (blue) where pollination is from honey bees and other insects present. The mean weight of harvested fruit is indicated on the RHS. This trial was conducted at Capel, 200km south of Perth, Western Australia.

Figure 4. Three hover fly species (i.e., syrphids) commonly found feeding on avocado flowers in south-western WA. (Melangyna viridiceps (Left), Simosyrphus grandicornis (Centre) and Sphaerophoria macrogaster) (Right).

Hover flies:

Hover flies were also frequent visitors to avocado flowers and proved effective at depositing pollen onto female stigmas.

Some hover flies also act as natural predators of aphids on grass and other plants, providing a dual benefit of pest control alongside pollination. While the full extent of their importance as pollinators has not been quantified, some parts of Australia witness significant numbers of hover flies visiting avocado flowers (Figure 4).

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Figure 5. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) (Left), the snout-nosed, rhinid fly (Stomorhina discolor) (Centre) and stingless native bee (Tetragonula carbonaria) (Right - Photo from Aussie Bee ©).

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Stingless bees

Stingless bees, which live in large colonies similar to honey bees, pollinate a wide variety of plants and can be managed in hives. The number of stingless beekeepers is growing, and these bees are already being utilised in macadamia farms, where they outperform honey bees. In Australia, researchers investigated the floral phenology and attractiveness of male and female flowers to insect visitors of Shepard and Hass avocado (Project PH16000). It was observed that stingless bees (Tetragonula carbonaria) predominantly foraged on avocados when no other crops were flowering nearby (Figure 5). However, when given the choice between avocado and macadamia, they showed a strong preference for macadamia. Native bees have a limited flight range of only about 500 meters (one-tenth of the range of honey bees) from their hive. Therefore, stocking rates would need to be higher when compared to honey bees.

Other pollinators

Beetles, moths, and various small insects can also contribute significantly to pollination in avocado orchards.

Similar to the advantages of diverse fly species, the presence of a variety of other insects in your orchard can enhance both pollination and crop yields.

Other ways to increase pollination rates:

• Do not spray when the pollinators are active: pesticide applications

Remember that fruit set in avocados relies on certain fundamental conditions: • Healthy Flowers: Flowers must have viable pollen and pistils.

• Overlap of Male and Female Flower Stages: The synchronisation of these stages is critical.

• Insect Pollinator Activity: Insects are necessary for transferring pollen.

• Warm Temperatures: Avocado trees require three consecutive days of temperatures over 10°C for Hass and over 13°C for Shepard to facilitate successful 'pollination events.'

• Absence of Environmental Stresses: Environmental conditions, such as extreme heat, excessive dryness, excessive moisture, or low humidity, need to be managed, if possible, as they are detrimental to the pollination process.

can reduce the abundance of native pollinators, consequently leading to decreased avocado yields.

• Minimise orchard intervention such as mowing the inter-row excessively: reduction in intensive orchard management practices has been shown to increase pollinator biodiversity.

• When establishing new orchards, interplanting Type A cultivars (e.g., Hass) and Type B cultivars (e.g., Shepard) enhances the likelihood of successful avocado flower pollination.

• Understand the pollination process in avocado: ensuring healthy flowers through proper carbohydrate management and irrigation is essential to increase the chances of pollination.

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• Observe the presence and distance from the orchard of more attractive plant species that flower at the same time (avocado flowers unfortunately are not a favourite of honeybees).

• Encourage non-bee pollinating species including blow flies and hover flies by maintaining native vegetation around the orchard as well as either inter-row planting of a mixture of native and introduced flowering plants, or anywhere that vacant patches of land are near your orchard trees to provide the pollinators with a habitat and food source.

In conclusion, promoting diverse insect populations during the flowering season in avocado orchards offers a significant advantage. Each species of insect possesses distinct behaviours, increasing the likelihood that at least

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one of them will be active when viable male pollen is transferred to an open female flower. A single flower visit rarely results in successful pollination, hence a combination of honey bee and other insects visitors (especially flies) are needed to transfer at least 10-12 pollen grains onto the female stigma to stimulate pollen tube growth and effectively pollinate the flower. This diversity in insect activity optimises the overall effectiveness of pollination efforts, ultimately contributing to higher crop yields and the success of avocado production.

Other Resources Use the URL links or the relevant QR codes provided to access these additional resources: More information about managing stingless bees and hiring bee hives can be found online at https://sugarbag.net/.

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Information about pollination can be found on the Best Practice Resource online at (BPR users log in then go to the growing section and click on “Pollination”): https://avocado.org.au/ best-practice-resource/.

Plant Health Australia’s “Maximise your avocado crop with better pollination” brochure can be accessed online here: http://avocado.org.au/wp-content/ uploads/2017/03/ph15000-avocadopollination-brochure.pdf.

An AvoGrow webinar also has useful content, access it online here (BPR users need to login to access you will then be automatically directed to the page): https://avocado. org.au/bpr-articles/avogrow-12082021/.

Further understanding of factors influencing populations of key non-bee pollinators of avocado is needed to inform farmers of management practices that will retain their populations. The Final Report for the “Optimising pollination of macadamia and avocado in Australia” (MT13060) project contains relevant information, it is located here: http:// avocado.org.au/wp-content/ uploads/2023/10/mt13060-final-reportcomplete.pdf .

To access a research paper about understanding the pollination process in avocados go online to: http://avocado.org.au/ wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2020Under standingpollinationprocessesinavocado. pdf.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

Exciting new fly pollination agents

By David Cook, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

The sixth and final avocado field enclosure trial was completed in early November 2023 (after flowering had ended) as part of the national project on Managing Flies for Crop Pollination.

This project was supported through Hort Innovations and partly funded using avocado levy funds.

Three fly proof enclosures were built around 29 avocado trees (26 Hass and 3 Type B polliniser trees (Edranol and Ettinger) at Jasper Farms operation in Capel, 210km south of Perth, WA. The flies released into each of the respective enclosures included two calliphorid blow flies (Calliphora vicina and Calliphora dubia) along with the hover fly Eristalis tenax (see Plate 1 below).

Releases of the two blowfly species C. vicina and C. dubia were at 15,000 flies/enclosure, whilst E. tenax was released at a rate of 5,000 flies in the enclosure. All three fly species were put into the enclosures on the same day that managed honey bees were brought onto the orchard for the purposes of pollination. The flies were left in the enclosures until flowering had ended and the net structures dismantled.

Eristalis tenax flies were released at 5,000 flies/enclosure to align with the average number of bees/tree used in the orchard for pollination (i.e., 200 bees/ tree). Two weeks after flowering had ended, fruitlet formation was visually rated in each enclosure and compared with trees nearby in the open orchard (Open), which were not under any enclosures and were pollinated by managed honey bees brought onto the orchard and any other insects present in the orchard.

It should be noted that there were very few insects in the orchard during flowering, which indicates a decline in wild pollinators helping with avocado fruit formation.

Figure 1. The three species of flies tested during the 2023 flowering season on Hass avocados in an avocado orchard in south-western Australia. Eristalis tenax (Left), Calliphora dubia (Centre) and Calliphora vicina (Right).

Figure 2. The net enclosures around Hass avocado trees in Capel, in south-western WA where either Calliphora dubia, Eristalis tenax or Calliphora vicina flies were released into the enclosures for the duration of the flowering period.

This early assessment showed some very encouraging results in that tripling the densities of both C. vicina and C. dubia adults resulted in a significant improvement in avocado pollination to levels equivalent to bees (C. vicina), and in the case of C. dubia, higher than that attained using bees as pollinators.

Furthermore, the level of fruitlets formed in the Eristalis tenax enclosure were significantly higher than those in the trees in the open orchard that were pollinated by honeybees. An interesting observation was that there were very few insects in the avocado orchard visiting flowers, which places more emphasis on the need for the use of either bees or bees and flies to boost pollination success.

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

A quantitative count of avocado fruitlets formed (a measure of pollination success) was done in February 2024, which was part of the sixth avocado field enclosure trial completed in November, 2023 (after flowering had ended). In this trial, releases of two species of calliphorid flies (C. vicina and C. dubia) along with the hover fly Eristalis tenax were carried out into 3 large enclosures of fly-proof netting around 24 Hass avocado trees (along with 3 Type B polliniser trees).

Fruitlet formation was visually rated 2 weeks after flowering had ended in each enclosure and compared with trees nearby in the open orchard (Open), which were pollinated by managed honeybees brought onto the orchard

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and any other insects present in the orchard. This preliminary assessment was highly correlated with the actual fruitlet formation counts done on each tree within each enclosure along with trees in the orchard serviced by honeybees. Figure 3 below confirms the level of fruitlet formation in the 4 treatments and shows that all 3 fly species were able to effect significant fruit formation. Of the three fly species, trees in the Eristalis tenax enclosures had more fruitlets formed (nearly twice as many) when compared with honeybee pollinated trees. In addition, trees in the calliphorid Calliphora dubia enclosure produced 30% more fruit when compared with trees in the open orchard pollinated by honeybees The 2023 flowering period was an unusually warm and dry spring, which did not suit the blow fly C. vicina, which prefers cooler climatic conditions (as shown in previous enclosure trials).

In addition, there were very few insects seen in the avocado orchard during flowering, which indicates that pollination by wild insects is declining, which is now a noted and regularly reported event worldwide, with a decline in both biodiversity and abundance of insects in many agricultural production settings. This highly emphasises the need for the use of fly pollination agents to support and boost honeybee pollination to secure pollination into the future.

Figure 3. The mean visual ranking (LHS scale) and actual number of fruitlets formed (RHS scale) on Hass avocado trees under netted enclosures with either Calliphora dubia, Eristalis tenax or Calliphora vicina flies in the enclosures for the duration of the flowering period in 2023 at Capel Farms in south-west of Western Australia. Fruitlet formation on trees in the open in the orchard nearby and pollinated by managed honey bees are also indicated.

Mature fruit counts and weights were recently completed (August 2024) in this trial, which again showed that both the number of mature fruit/tree (Figure 4 A) and the total fruit yield/ tree (kg) (Figure 4 B) were highest when trees were enclosed with the hover fly Eristalis tenax, followed by the calliphorid blowfly C. dubia, both of which yielded more fruit than trees in the orchard pollinated by honeybees.

Work on flies as managed pollinators with support from the avocado industry will be continuing next year (2025) with several commercial companies beginning the process of scaling up production of Eristalis tenax to begin with as a managed pollination insect.

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Figure 4. The number of mature fruit/tree (A) and the mean yield/tree (kg) of Hass avocado trees under netted enclosures with either Calliphora dubia, Eristalis tenax or Calliphora vicina flies in the enclosures for the duration of the flowering period in 2023 at Capel Farms in south-west of Western Australia.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

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Snapshots – International Avocado Research Update

By Mary Burton, Avocados Australia This series of research snapshots is compiled from abstracts of published scientific papers accessed through CAB Direct as well as Google Scholar searches. Dates provided reflect the date research was published.

Pest Management Scorpion venom insectotoxins: a sustainable alternative for pest control in agriculture.

Bermúdez-Guzmán, Manuel de J.; BuenrostroNava, Marco T.; Valdez-Velázquez, Laura L.; Lino-López, Gisela J.; García-Villalvazo, Patricia E.; Orozco-Santos, Mario; Michel-López, Claudia Y. Mexico (2024) The venom of scorpions represents a source of bioactive compounds with various biological activities, including insecticidal activity. The peptides related to this type of

activity are called insectotoxins (ITs). These peptides commonly have molecular weights between 2-10 kDa and are classified in the group of toxins that affect voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels, to which belong the groups' α-insect toxin, anti-insect selective depressant β-toxin (DBTX), and anti-insect selective excitatory β-toxin (EBTX), which exhibit selectivity towards insects, without affecting mammals.

This makes them of great interest for their potential use in pest control in agriculture. This review explores the mode of action of chemical pesticides and their impact on agriculture, the classification of scorpion toxins, and the mechanisms of action of ITs will be discussed. Then, ITs purified from the venoms of various scorpions worldwide reported until 2022 and the bioassays conducted on various target organisms will be addressed. Finally, the landscape of ITs for pest control in agriculture worldwide will be analyzed. The authors aim to guide researchers working with scorpion venom ITs to focus their bioassays on pest species (larvae of the orders Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Hemiptera) that impact agricultural crops, such as avocado weevils (Conotrachelus spp.), fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda), and whiteflies (Bemisia spp.), among others. https://bit.ly/4f1zuQl?r=qr

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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Postharvest Management Active coatings based on oxidized chitin nanocrystals and silk fibroins for the control of anthracnose in “Hass” avocados.

Funes, Catalina Ferreira; Larach, Alejandra; Besoain, Ximena; Serrano, Daniela Duarte; Hadad, Caroline; Pedreschi, Romina; van Nhien, Albert Nguyen; Fuentealba, Claudia. Chile and France (2023) Postharvest avocado losses are mainly due to anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Chemical fungicides are effective, but their negative effects on health and the environment have led to the search for sustainable alternatives such as biopolymer-based coatings and natural compounds. Therefore, chitin nanocrystals (NCChit) were extracted using a sustainable deep eutectic solvent (DES) and chemically modified into oxidized chitin nanocrystals (O-NCChit) or deacetylated chitin nanocrystals (D-NCChit) to modulate and increase the charge surface density and the dispersibility of the crystals. The modified NCChits were

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

dispersed with silk fibroins (SF), essential oil (EO), melatonin (MT) and/or phenylalanine (Phe) to elaborate active coatings.

Antioxidant and antifungal in vitro analyses showed that the O-NCChit/SF-based coating had the best performance.

In addition, in vivo tests were carried out through the artificial inoculation of C. gloeosporioides on coated avocados.

O-NCChit/SF/MT-based coatings reduced the severity of anthracnose by 45%, the same effect as the chemical fungicide (Prochloraz®). Moreover, avocado quality parameters during cold storage and the shelf-life period were also evaluated, where nonsignificant differences were observed. Therefore, this study demonstrates the great potential of O-NCChit and SF in combination with active compounds for the control of anthracnose in 'Hass' avocados. https://bit.ly/3ZgNu2S?r=qr

Non-structural carbohydrate composition of “Hass” avocado fruit is affected by maturity, storage, and ripening.

Burdon, Jeremy; Billing, David; Bowen, Judith; Boldingh, Helen. New Zealand (2024)

The fruit may be held on the tree unripe until required for marketing, and in some producing regions, this may extend past the next flowering period. This prolonged period on the tree is associated with increased oil content and decreased 7-C carbohydrates. There has been relatively less research into soluble hexose sugars and starch. In this research, the interrelationships between fruit maturation, storage, and ripening have been investigated for both 7-C and six-carbon nonstructural carbohydrates using 'Hass' fruit harvested from the same trees between 11 and 14 months after flowering.

Significant differences were identified in both fruit flesh and skin for most compounds, affected by maturity, storage, and ripening. It is concluded that the non-structural carbohydrate composition of 'Hass' fruit is variable, with significant changes occurring associated with maturation, storage, and ripening. The compositions of the flesh and skin tissues are not consistently proportionate. Maturation provides the initial baseline composition from which any further change through storage or ripening can occur. The changes with maturation appear to be associated with the tree's phenology, with tree-totree differences in the timing or degree of change.

Avocado fruits are considered unusual because of the large amounts of oil and seven-carbon (7-C) carbohydrates (mannoheptulose and perseitol) in the fruit's flesh and skin.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS New Zealand horticulture exports set to reach record $8 billion by 2025 According to Fresh Plaza, New Zealand horticulture exports are expected to reach record $8 billion by 2025. This projection was highlighted from the latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) report. According to the report, exports of fresh and processed vegetables are forecasted to grow by 7 percent to $770 million, with cherries and avocados also seeing increases in export revenue.

Kate Scott, chief executive of Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ), was quoted saying, "this is excellent news for our growers, who have demonstrated remarkable resilience, particularly following the extreme weather challenges of 2023." She also cited the challenges of translating increased export revenue into profitability due to rising production costs and stressed the importance of government support in fostering sector resilience and sustainability.

Chile’s avocado exports set to increase by almost 30% According to EuroFruit, a USDA report indicates international sales rose significantly in July to September, ahead of Chile's October-November peak shipment period.

Overall avocado production is expected to total 200,000 tonnes in 2024/25 as a result of favourable weather conditions, the report stated.

Chile’s avocado exports for 2024/25 are estimated at 116,000 tonnes, up 29.8 per cent on the previous marketing year due to higher production volumes, according to a report from the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (that cited Chilean Avocado Committee data).

That figure represents a 33.3 per cent increase on the previous campaign and follows a 1 per cent increase in planted area to 33,010ha.

During the first three months of the new campaign, international shipments apparently increased by 66.5 per cent year on year.

New sustainable technology promises to optimize Chilean agro-exports FreshFruitPortal recently reported that a team of researchers from the Faculty of Life Sciences at Andrés Bello University (UNAB) has developed a solution for post-harvest decay in fruits, a critical challenge for Chile's agro-export industry given the country's distance from major global markets.

Rubén Polanco, director of the School of Biosciences and researcher at the Plant Biotechnology Center (CBV UNAB),

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

along with Danilo González, director of the Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology (CBIB UNAB), and Yorley Duarte, a researcher at CBIB UNAB, are behind the development of "Gas in Powder." Apparently, this technology encapsulates volatile compounds within biodegradable biopolymer matrices, enabling the controlled release of natural fungicides that are safe for human health (GRAS).

TALKING AVOCADOS SUMMER 2025

a y! me da co to Be ber m me

Grower Member Application Form The Australian avocado industry is a growing, successful and progressive industry. As the Australian avocado industry’s peak industry body we work closely with all of the stakeholders that can have a direct impact on the marketplace.

If you are looking to gain the maximum benefit from being a part of the Australian avocado industry we recommend that you become a member of Avocados Australia.

Avocados Australia provides online and offline information, programs, materials and events to advance the industry. On top of this there are other services we can provide that are only made possible through the support of our members. Join today.

All membership enquiries can be directed to: admin@avocado.org.au or call toll free 1300 303 971.

For Associate and Affiliate membership application form please go to: www.avocado.org.au or call 07 3846 6566

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Corporate Structure How would you describe the nature of your operations (please tick)?

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Other (please specify) Please indicate the area of property that you crop for avocados (please tick) 0.5 – 5 ha

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Payment Options Grower Membership of Avocados Australia is $250 pa (+ GST).

Member Details

You can pay your membership by cheque or credit card.

To pay your membership fee, please choose one of the following options:

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For more information or assistance please go to: www.avocado.org.au or call on 07 3846 6566

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APPLICATION FORM

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