Export quality report August 2026

Avocado quality dips slightly in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur

Weekly quality monitoring has continued in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong as part of the Avocado International Retail Quality Benchmarking project (AV24015).

In July, Australian avocados in Hong Kong were 89% acceptable, falling below the industry target of 90% acceptable fruit for the first time since monitoring began in November 2025 (Figure 1).

An increase in flesh discolouration was the main cause of quality decline, alongside a smaller increase in rots. The cause of the rise in these defects is unclear, as the average fruit age (a contributing factor to rot and flesh discolouration severity) was similar to June.

Poor temperature management throughout the supply chain may have contributed to the increase in these defects. This will be investigated in supply chain studies later in this project.

Non-Australian fruit was 95% acceptable, outperforming Australian fruit. The first sample of Mexican fruit was sampled in July, with the remainder of non-Australian fruit being Peruvian.

In Kuala Lumpur, Australian avocados were 91% acceptable, remaining above the industry target and comparable to June (Figure 1).

In contrast with June, more fruit was rendered unacceptable due to a combination of defects making the total damage unacceptably high rather than any single defect being present at unacceptable levels.

The first sample of non-Australian fruit in Kuala Lumpur was collected in July, originating from the USA, and was 100% acceptable.

Quality monitoring will continue across Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, with four samples collected weekly from major retailers in each city. Project updates will be shared regularly through monthly Guacamole summaries and Talking Avocados articles, as well as at regional forums and webinars.

More information

For further details please contact Henry Hyde at henry.hyde@ahr.com.au or Adam Goldwater at adam.goldwater@ahr.com.au.

Acknowledgement

The Avocado International Retail Quality Benchmarking project (AV24015) has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the avocado research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.