Anthony Joseph, director of Queensland-based exporter Alfred E Chave, offers a direct appraisal of why Australia must work swiftly to secure access to India for avocados. “The numbers are simply too big to ignore,” he explained.
Boasting a burgeoning middle class, with the propensity to follow key market trends, Joseph said the avocado category could “explode” in India over the coming years.
“It’s hard to comprehend the size and scale of this market,” he said. “There’s 350m to 400m people in this growing middle class, who want to lead healthy lifestyles and can afford to do so.
“This segment of the market is very well connected. You can buy an entry-level smart phone there for A$30, while there are 25m people in New Delhi with full 4G mobile phone coverage, so the reach of social media is phenomenal. It means that as soon as there is a run on a certain superfood there it just takes off.”
Joseph’s opinion is formed from a first-hand observation of the market, having travelled to India earlier this year. He said consumers are already being exposed to the health benefits avocados offer.
“In some places we saw avocados selling for A$12 a kg,” Joseph said. “It came after a movie star had put up a post on social media about how they drank an avocado shake once a day for beautiful skin.”
The Australian avocado industry is continuing its campaign for market access to India, where rival Southern Hemisphere producers such as Peru and New Zealand are currently building their market share.
An extended copy of this article will appear in the June edition of Asiafruit.
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