Raising the bar on avocado quality through training in East Malaysia
Avocados Australia has delivered a Retail Quality Training Workshop in Kuching, Sarawak, as part of ongoing efforts to improve avocado quality, handling and consumer experience in Southeast Asian markets.
Held on 20 May 2026, the workshop brought together 63 people from across the local retail and import supply chain. The program was delivered across two sessions: one with the Everrise supermarket team and another with importers and retailers operating in Kuching.
Why quality counts
The training was designed to strengthen practical avocado quality management in East Malaysia, where strong supply chain capability is essential to maintaining fruit quality from arrival through to retail display.
When it comes to avocados, quality outcomes depend on growing and export standards and on the way fruit is received, stored, ripened, handled and presented in market.
The workshop covered key retail and supply chain topics including avocado maturity, storage and handling, ripening management, transport to retail, receival checks, RIRO stock rotation, merchandising and display management.
Participants also reviewed common avocado quality issues, including bruising, rots, skin spotting, poor skin colour development, vascular browning and flesh discolouration.
Small decisions, big quality gains
A key message throughout the training was that small operational decisions can have a major impact on avocado quality. These include monitoring fruit age and firmness, rotating stock based on ripeness rather than arrival date alone, keeping ripe fruit cool, avoiding oversized displays, and reducing unnecessary fruit handling at store level.
Hands-on learning in action
The session also included a practical avocado damage activity, supported virtually by Adam Goldwater from AHR, who joined the training to provide technical input and participate in a Q&A with attendees. The activity helped participants better understand how handling practices can contribute to quality issues and how these can be reduced across the supply chain.
Beyond technical handling, the workshop also highlighted the versatility of avocados in localised food applications. Participants sampled a selection of avocado dishes and drinks inspired by Southeast Asian flavours, including avocado kaya toast, pandan avocado smoothie, chocolate mousse with kelutut (stingless bee) honey, tuna avocado bite and avocado rojak.
The tasting component helped demonstrate how Australian avocados can be incorporated into familiar regional formats and flavour profiles. By pairing avocados with ingredients and dishes already understood by local consumers, the session encouraged participants to think beyond avocado as a standalone product and consider its wider potential in everyday meals, snacks, beverages and foodservice applications.
For retailers, quality management is directly linked to shopper confidence. Consumers increasingly expect avocados to be ready to eat, easy to select and consistent in quality. When fruit is damaged, overripe or poorly managed on shelf, this can affect repeat purchase and overall confidence in the category.
Continued capability building in-market
The Kuching workshop reflects Avocados Australia’s continued focus on market development through practical, in-market capability building. By working directly with retailers, importers and supermarket teams, the industry is helping build the knowledge and systems needed to support Australian avocados in export markets.
East Malaysia represents an important part of Malaysia’s fresh produce landscape, with growing consumer interest in premium imported fruit. Training programs like this help ensure that Australian avocados are handled with care and presented to consumers at their best, while also building awareness of how the fruit can be used in locally relevant ways.
Acknowledgements
This Avocado Market Access and Trade Development Project (V23003) has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government.
