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AVO C A D O S
Bravado to the NZ avo ocado The avocado tree is aplenty in the Bay of Plenty!
Most of us usually have a couple of avocados hanging out on the kitchen counter and a forgotten browning one in the back of the fridge – either way, they are a staple part of our diet. But, did you know that for us living in New Zealand, the only avocados we will likely ever eat are New Zealand-grown avocados; New Zealand does not import avocados from other countries. That means growing avocados in New Zealand is a big deal, and as consumers and New Zealanders, we should probably know a little more about (and support!) the industry that is literally in our own backyards. There are benefits for a country to buy what it grows.
Economic contributions
Avocado growers provide local jobs and strengthen communities; they also rely on local suppliers for inputs like seedlings, fertilisers, and equipment. Local produce reduces reliance on global supply chains, which can be disrupted by factors such as trade wars, political instability, or natural disasters. For example, have you seen the price of olive oil lately?! Additionally, our growers contribute to food security by ensuring New Zealanders have access to fresh, healthy produce. The global avocado market is experiencing cautious growth, driven
“Over the last two decades, we have seen around 70% exported but with a growing consumption in the local market this can be close to 50% in more recent seasons. “Fruit entering the domestic market, primarily as a result of export packing, goes through retail, e-commerce and local sales, with lower grade fruit being sent for processing to produce avocado cooking oil and other valueadded products.” Brad says the past two seasons (2023-2024) resulted in export volumes falling because of weather events. “Cyclones Dovi [2022] and Gabrielle [2023] both hit avocado
by an increasing demand for healthy foods. New Zealand, in general, has a strong brand reputation for being clean and green, which resonates with many consumers who make mindful purchasing decisions. New Zealand is actively reducing its reliance on the Australian avocado market and expanding into Asian markets, including South Korea, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia, where exports to the region have increased from approximately 7% of all avocado exports by value in 2012 to 44% by value in 2023. Being a significant exporter contributes to our overall GDP, which is basically how we understand our “ranking” of economic performance, so that policymakers can make informed decisions.
shorter travell distance to get to market, which reduces the chances of coontamination during transportatioon or storage. A shorter trravel distance means less carbon emisssions during transport as well, so bu uying local reduces “food miles” and the associated environmenttal impact. Locally sourced prod duce often requires less packaging coompared to imported produce, furtther reducing waste. BayFarms has been a key player in distributing avocados in the New Zealand domestic markett since 1995. BayFarms benefits from excellent loong-term relationships and caters to three primaary markets: major supermarket chains, wholesalers and direct-tohome consumers. Today, BayFarms supplies avocados from more than n 200 orchards, which is about 15% of the domesttic avocado supply. Do your part for the ind dustry in your backyard and buy that bag of avocaados today.
Reduced risks
It seems almost annually that we read about some sort of food safety outbreak somewhere in the world. Food safety should always (and literally) remain under the microscope. When you buy New Zealand local, it’s easier to trace the origin and farming practices of the produce, and you can rest assured the food has been handled to stringent requirements. Local produce obviously also has a
growing regions, damaging fruit and causing major impacts on export volumes. “The challenges of the past season’s La Nina weather patterns are now in the rear-view mirror and more favourable conditions have returned.” Brad says optimal conditions have led to a large, high-quality crop for the current season. As a result, export volumes increased 190% to 3.9 million trays in the season ending June 30, 2025. Half of New Zealand’s avocado hectares in production are in the Bay of Plenty, with around 45% in Steve Edwards Northland.
Local? Global? Growers, we’ll help get your Avos A get there.
07 573 0085
Proud to be associated with
AVOCADOS • Exceptional Packing Facilities • Complete Orchard Management • AvoGreen Service
• Harvest Flexibility • New water blaster facility • Technical Advice and Support
Contact: Hamish McKain - General Manager/Avocado Grower Services 027 220 2005 • hamish.mckain@dms4kiwi.co.nz
Warren Sargent - AvoGreen Manager 027 900 0292 • warren.sargent@dms4kiwi.co.nz
Willie Herder - Avocado Grower Services 027 667 3849 • willie.herder@dms4kiwi.co.nz
Matt Royackers - Avocado Grower Services 027 200 0788 • matt.royackers@dms4kiwi.co.nz
Ivona Kopecka - Avocado Grower Services 027 266 4901 • ivona.kopecka@dms4kiwi.co.nz
Toni Morrison - Avocado Grower Services 027 265 4469 • toni.morrison@dms4kiwi.co.nz
AVOJECT® SYRINGE
The proven low pressure method for effective phytophthora control in avocado trees. The Avoject® are high quality syringes with a small tip to minimise tree damage. E: info@avoject.co.nz | W: avoject.co.nz
Proudly supporting local growers and their community.