Photo: https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2015/09/18/11/37/hass-avocado-945418_960_720.jpg
A
s the South African avocado harvest gets
underway, we can see from the table that
the export volumes have not changed much
since 2010, but the figures do not tell the
full story. Avocados have an on-year and an off-year.
2013 for example was an off year, but the volumes were
not much below those of the previous year. 2014 saw a
big jump from the previous year, a combination of an
on-year and increased planting.
Nichola Watson
avocado crop regarding sizing this year and will improve
prospects for next year, growers are not out of the
woods yet.
"As far as the avocado crop is concerned there has been
enough water to bring the crop to maturity and recent
rains have replenished diminishing water supplies to
some extent but we hope that we will get more before
the winter. The heat has been good for quality, but at
the moment it is difficult to say how it will go with sizing as we have to wait and see the positive effects of
the rain," explains Derek.
The estimated export volume this year is slightly up on
last year at 12.8 million cartons compared to 12.55 million in 2015. It should have been a much bigger volume
but the avocado crop was hit by hail at the end of last
Europe remains the main destination for South Africa's
year and in February this year and although some areas avocados, although some does go to the Middle East
were devastated others saw no damage at all.
and to Africa. There is an increasing demand in all these
markets, all be it from a low base in the Middle East.
The current acreage of avocados in South Africa is
15500 ha, Derek estimates this will grow by around 500
ha a year for the coming years, although there are no
long term projections. He does not foresee any problems in available land with water rights.
At the moment there is a 18-24 month wait for new
trees, the nurseries are not sitting on any stock so when
someone orders new plants they have to be grown from
scratch.
Derek Donkin CEO of industry body, Subtrop explained
that volumes this year should have been much higher
than last year which was an off-year, "In 2014 we did 15
million cartons and last year 12.55 million despite it being an off-year so had we not had the hail damage the
export volume would probably have been in the region
of 15.5 million cartons. "
For more information:
Derek Donkin
South African Subtropical Growers Association
Tel: +27 15 307 3676
Email: [email protected]
www.subtrop.co.za
Although it has rained in recent weeks in the north of
the country, which will definitely be beneficial to the
Publication date: 4/1/2016
Copyright: www.freshplaza.com