New Zealand's avocado sector is working on several fronts to boost future exports to Asia as national production is forecast to rise, reports the Bay of Plenty Times.
The industry is liaising with MAF Biosecurity New Zealand to open new markets in China and India, and has initiated a joint project with the Plant Market Access Council and New Zealand Food Safety Authority to overcome pesticide residue issues that limit access to existing markets in South East Asia, the publication said.
The introduction of a third scheme, AvoGreen - an audited integrated pest management production system - is also geared towards widening export access to all markets.
The three-pronged strategy comes as industry forecasts predict New Zealand's export volumes will increase from this year's 4m trays to 12m trays by 2015 as new plantings come into bearing.
'As production increases, it is imperative that markets are available that can absorb this increased volume while returning value back to growers,' Henry Pak, technical manager for the Avocado Industry Council said.
In the short-term though, irregular bearing - with many avocado orchards only producing a commercial crop every two years - continues to trouble the sector and is causing some New Zealand growers to disinvest or quit the industry altogether, The Bay of Plenty Times said.
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