This new season, 6.5 million trays of fruit were expected from the 1400 orchards that were part of the industry group, more than half of which would be exported.
Last year (2024/2025) was a bumper season, with 7.6 million trays earning $163 million in export value.
Siebert said last year was a relief for growers.
“As far as last year, that we’ve concluded now, that was a pretty good relief for many in the industry with substantial gains in export volumes and export value and just an increasing value seen in the local market.”
It followed a horror season in 2023 due to adverse weather, which impacted export-grade fruit, earning just $20m from international markets.
Siebert said last season, exports rose 170% on that terrible season prior, to 3.8 million trays sent abroad.
However, he said, fortunately, weather conditions this year have improved.
“The weather has been better. The last two years it had some real impact on growers’ returns, as the export volume of fruit has been dramatically down and the pack-out rate or the class-one [fruit] available for export has been reduced, but we’re seeing [that] diversification creates opportunities to send to a diverse set of countries.”
Exports compete with Western Australia; Asia exports grow
Siebert said avocado exporters had diversified their markets in recent years, beyond the key market of Australia, which was bearing fruit for them.
Australia was traditionally the largest export market, but he said internal competition there was growing.
“One of the exciting parts of that is the diversification the industry’s seen and the export markets, with Asia historically seen around 8% of their volumes [but] is now representing 37% of our export revenue.
“Historically, sometimes up to 85% of the export crop went to Australia and the eastern seaboard, where the seasonal competitor there being Western Australia.
“Consumption continues to grow in Australia, thankfully, but so does the production out of Western Australia.”
But he said diversification helped spread the risk.
“We, like many nations, have diversified, so we’ve got the ability in the season ahead to export to more countries than any other origin, and so we’re headed to North America, Canada, the US, and a whole lot more to Asia as well as servicing the important Australian market as well.”
Avocados into the United States will also face the 15% import tariff, which Siebert said was being discussed by government trade officials.
He said there was good demand for avocados in New Zealand, as Kiwis consumed the fruit at quite a high rate per capita.
But Siebert said harnessing retail opportunities and educating consumers would be key to capitalising on that demand.
– RNZ
