South African avocado crops lighter prediction

Initial South African avocado forecasts from Capespan point to both the Hass and Ryan crops being lighter than last year, said Ian Waller, responsible for export programmes at Capespan.

While sizes may be small, fruit quality is good, he added.

Drought earlier in the year may have had some effect on Fuerte. However, this has not been evident in earlier producing regions such as the Limpopo Province where the harvest is now gathered in.

The first arrivals of the South African crop will be due in the UK during the first week of May.

With the Israeli crop finished, and, according to trade sources, the quality of Spanish being variable with a shortage of large sizes, there are expectations that the season will commence on a high note.