As its peak season in Europe approaches, the South African avocado crop is slightly smaller than last year with an estimated 9.5 million cartons earmarked for export.

However, this is an 'off-year' for SA fruit and the disparities are becoming less as the industry advances its agronomic technological knowhow.

According to the South African Avocado Growers' Association (SAAGA), the development of Perfectly Ripe product is expected to help fuel a strong consumer demand for quality fruit in the UK.

Waitrose currently stocks Perfectly Ripe South African avocados in packs of two medium fruit retailing at £1.95. The fruit is matured on the tree for as long as possible in order to ensure flavour and texture develops fully. They are then ripened in specially designed ripening chambers. This is carried out in the UK by Waitrose's sole supplier of summer avocados, Greencell.

In the past seven years SAAGA has committed itself to increasing avocado consumption in the UK and has done much to develop the UK avocado market, valued at more than £25m at retail. It's annual marketing, promotion and consumer PR campaign – always branded Summer Avocados: Fresh from the South African Sun – has helped double avocado consumption, since the late 90s, to 400g a head.

This effort has been complemented by a substantial increase in the percentage of fruit that is sold in Ready to Eat packs.

The quantity of South African avocados marketed in the UK as ripe & ready to eat increased by 25 per cent last season in comparison to the previous year, a figure that is expected to keep on rising.

See FRiday's Journal for additional comment.

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