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At the end of 2018, the industry was concerned about the potential impact of the quality of New Zealand fruit in the Australian market. Quality was variable, due to factors ranging from local conditions in New Zealand at picking to delays in clearing entry requirements in Australia.
In the last Avo Insider we outlined a number of steps Avocados Australia was taking, as members reported their concerns about the potential impact on the market generally, should consumers have negative experiences.
Working to improve import flow
Avocados Australia is working with the Australian Horticulture Exporters and Importers Association (AHEIA) to seek changes to ensure New Zealand fruit is not delayed at the border, leading to old, poor quality fruit on retail shelves. As we reported last edition, AHEIA have engaged a consultant in Canberra to work with government to seek changes.
While some may think it is a good thing that New Zealand fruit is being held up at the border and the quality is inferior to the Australian fruit, the reality is that Australian production currently cannot meet demand during our summer and this is likely to continue in the short term. Consumers don’t necessarily distinguish a bad New Zealand avocado from a bad Australian avocado, it’s just a bad avocado and they may not buy another one for a while.
Assessing quality on the shelf
Before Christmas, Avocados Australia initiated a small-scale Hort Innovation-funded project to sample and assess the quality of avocados on retail shelves.
In total, 31 samples (310 fruit in total) of New Zealand fruit and 32 samples (320 fruit) of Australian avocados were collected from retail stores in Brisbane and Sydney in late December and early January.
Overall, 22% of the New Zealand fruit had significant damage (mainly rots), compared to 10% of Australian fruit (mainly bruising). The final report for this project is in the BPR Library, in the R&D Report section.
The report determined that above average rainfall and flooding events earlier in the New Zealand growing season were likely to be the underlying cause of the high incidence of rots in New Zealand fruit. “Delays during transport and ripening, due to quarantine intervals may have also contributed. However, severity of rots can also be induced by many other pre- and postharvest practices. It is essential that growers and packers follow postharvest best practice to try and minimise this issue,” the report said.
This data has been provided to AHEIA, Australian Government, Coles, Woolworths and New Zealand industry to demonstrate the extent of the problem and to substantiate the need for an efficient quarantine inspection program and improved disease management in New Zealand.
As a side note, most of the damage to Australian fruit was due to bruising but as the report noted, this was likely to have been caused at the retail level.
“Nearly 8% of the Australian fruit was bruised (>10% flesh volume) compared to only 1% of New Zealand fruit. This was the result of the higher levels of bruising in Australian fruit purchased in Brisbane. The Brisbane fruit was mostly purchased directly off loose displays at independent retailers, rather than out of trays. This was due to the general lack of Australian fruit at the major retailers in Brisbane at the time of sampling. The increased bruising in this fruit is therefore likely to be the result of consumer (and potentially store staff) handling,” the report said.
This just demonstrates the importance of the work we encourage throughout the supply chain, from the orchard to the retail store. Educating our customers and consumers about how to best handle avocados is just as important to maintaining quality as implementing best practice from the farm to the wholesaler or distribution centre.
This article was prepared for the March 2019 Avo Insider.