Strong supplies of avocados expected until the end of the year

Peru: Raina Nelson, president/CEO of Westfalia Fruit Marketing USA LLC says avocados from Peru will continue arriving through the month providing ample 48 count and larger sizes. In turn, this will provide promotional opportunities. “Over the next few weeks, the Peruvian supply and the large size fruit this season brought will diminish in the domestic market,” she says, adding that Westfalia is the first Fairtrade-accredited avocado supplier in the world.

Mexico: Westfalia anticipates that Mexican volumes will grow from approximately 60 percent of the current market share to 90 percent next month with a balanced size curve. “Supplies from Michoacán and now Jalisco position Mexico with sufficient volume to confidently promote avocados for the remainder of the year,” says Nelson. “Mexico’s size curve is slightly larger than usual, and the industry should not miss a beat. We anticipate the cost of large fruit to slightly increase but Mexico’s supply will be plentiful.”

Along with Peru and Mexico, avocados continue to be sourced from Chile, Colombia and domestically, California. “Chilean and Colombian fruit will continue to add smaller fruit to domestic inventories as 2022 winds down,” says Nelson.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

Multi-region sourcing

Sourcing avocados from multiple regions allows Westfalia to provide supply solutions on product whenever problems arise. “So when Mother Nature or supply disruptions occur, we can easily pivot to our other growing regions for aid,” she says.

Meanwhile, consumption of avocados is expected to continue to rise. Nelson notes that according to the USDA, Americans are consuming an average of eight lbs. of avocado per person and that is expected to continue to grow. At the same time, the Hass Avocado Board estimates the volume of avocados produced in 2022 is about 13 percent lower than that of 2021, year to date and present weekly volume projections range from 50,000,000 to 60,000,000 lbs. “The low supply availability at the beginning of the summer drove up retail pricing which did reduce demand to a degree,” says Nelson.

Sustainable approach

What could also appeal to consumers is Westfalia’s approach towards sustainability in its ensuring that there’s sustainable, ethical and responsible management of its bio-resources for the environment and communities it operates in. “Proactive steps are taken each day to achieve zero waste to landfill, carbon neutrality and to reduce pesticide usage on farms,” adds Nelson.

Looking ahead, she says a very strong supply is forecast for the rest of 2022. “The expectations are to close out the year reinvigorating the domestic consumer with ample supply of promotable avocado prices from multiple countries of origin,” says Nelson, adding that weekly sales volumes are anticipated to increase through January.

The News in Charts is a collection of stories from the industry complemented by charts from Agronometrics to help better tell their story.

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