Supply chain monitoring recommenced last month under the new ‘Monitoring avocado supply chain quality’ (AV22011) project which will, on average, monitor 75 supply chains each year for the next 3 years. This follows on from the supply chain monitoring undertaken under the successful AV18000 project that encouraged pack sheds to improve fruit quality.

The average results for June harvest are that 88% of north Queensland and 99% of central Queensland fruit samples have less than 10% damage suggesting a good result for avocado consumers.

The project team including the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Applied Horticultural Research and Avocados Australia have been busy since the start of the project implementing new ideas to improve monitoring data collection and reporting as well as the process for undertaking tracebacks on any poor results found. Challenge tests continue to be undertaken to also give pack sheds an indication of their fruit robustness. As such the reports are now starting to flow to those pack sheds already sampled through this new project.

Results will also be shared more broadly with industry through updates in Guacamole, Talking Avocados magazine, the Best Practice Resource, regional forums and webinars.

For further information on supply chain quality monitoring, contact Noel Ainsworth from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (noel.ainsworth@daf.qld.gov.au), or Anne Larard (idm@avocado.org.au ) from Avocados Australia.

The project Monitoring avocado supply chain quality (AV22011) has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the avocado industry research and development levy, co-investment from Avocados Australia, Applied Horticultural Research, the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Rudge Produce Systems and contributions from the Australian Government.

This article appears as part of the 21 July 2023 Guacamole issue.