"It's painfully low for the growers and it's causing a lot of concern for growers in north and central Queensland." "But there has been a lot of market disruption by floods in Sydney, floods in Queensland but other than that I really don't understand why more avocados aren't being taken up and eaten because the price is as low as it was 20 years ago. The big jump in production in 2021 was largely due to good seasonal conditions in Western Australia and a delayed harvest, forcing competition in markets that would typically be left for Queensland growers to service.Īvocados Australia chairman Jim Kochi said the quantity of produce going into market from north Queensland was high because trees that had been planted over the past five years were now bearing fruit. Production nationwide has doubled over the past decade, as growers have cashed in on the nation's appetite for the fruit, with between 10 and 20 per cent of all avocados grown in Australia purchased by the food services sector.įar north Queensland has traditionally supplied about two-thirds of Australia's avocados at this time of the year but this season's harvest has been savaged by the carryover of fruit from Western Australia creating a glut in the market for the second year in a row.Īn oversupply of avocados means it is now cheaper for farmers to dump them than try their luck on the export market. "Farmers are price takers and unfortunately we take the prices that come out of the markets, and we can't pass on our costs … this is a very, very tough time for the avocado industry."Īnother Tablelands-based avocado grower, who did not want to be named, told the ABC he dumped produce on occasion because it wasn't up to standard and he did not want poor quality fruit in the market with his name on it. Mr Moro said the oversupply issue came on the top of increased input costs, including fertilisers, chemicals, and fuel.
"You've got to employ people to pick the fruit, drive the trucks there, dump the product there, so it's another cost that will go through to the farmer," he said. While some social media users were quick to suggest farmers should donate the fruit, Mr Moro said even dumping it was expensive. "They grow it to send to market and want to put the best product they can onto the plate and even though the farmer has made a commercial decision to dump the fruit it would still be a very emotional decision for them. "Farmers really do not like to plough in a crop because they don't grow it just to put it back into the ground," Mr Moro said. Jo Moro says the growing cost of fertilisers and chemicals is also a concern for farmers.
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