New Zealand’s avocado industry hopes to leverage opportunities in the Singapore market after celebrity chef, Nadia Lim, took to the stage at the Savour Food Festival in the Asian nation to promote the offering this week.
With over 17,000 people in attendance, Carwyn Williams from leading New Zealand avocado exporter Avanza said the festival was an excellent opportunity to showcase avocados versatility and nutritional value.
“The Singaporeans are rapidly taking on board the health and beauty benefits of avocados,” Williams said. “They’re high in potassium, protein, fibre, vitamins and antioxidants. They’re also great for your skin and cardiovascular health so we expect to gain a lot from the exposure at Savour.”
Avanza led the Savour promotion with the support of their Singaporean-based importer, Freshmart, and peak industry body New Zealand Avocado.
Avocado exports from New Zealand to Singapore have increased from 600 trays per week to 3600 trays per week in the past five years. Despite this growth, Freshmart spokesperson Qi Lin Phan said there was still “untapped potential” in Singapore.
“Avocados are still viewed as a Western fruit and are used mostly in Western cuisine,” Phan explained. “However, they are becoming increasingly popular among the educated middle aged group who are looking for healthier additions to their daily diet.”
Lim has worked as the New Zealand Avocado ambassador for two seasons, fronting significant print and public relations campaigns here at home which has helped make the fruit more popular than ever. New Zealand Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular said it was vital to work collaboratively with industry partners such as Avanza to open up new export markets around the world.
“Nadia successfully hosted a variety cooking events over the three days, as well as engaging with consumers on the Avanza booth,” Scoular said. “There was a mixture of cookery classes, demonstrations and seminars, teaching the crowd how to cook with avocados and about the health benefits of the fruit. She’s a natural presenter and as a qualified dietician, she represented our industry superbly.”
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