South African Hass avocados are beginning their campaign in the UK as suppliers switch from Israeli and Spanish supplies into the new-season fruit.

Mark Key of importer Greencell reports fine conditions. "Growing conditions have been good and the South Africans are looking forward to a season with very good eating quality fruit," said Key. "Oil content is very high which is just what UK consumers want."

However, growers are also forecasting that the season may end a little more quickly because the high oil content can affect keeping quality.

Greencell sources from north-eastern South Africa around the Petersburg area early in the season before moving to more central growing areas around Durban mid-way through the summer.

Looking further ahead, Chile, which takes up the baton from South Africa in the autumn, is forecasting production of Hass some 25 per cent up on last year. "This is as new plantings come on stream," explained Key.

Greencell has expanded its involvement with the source over the past season and hopes to repeat that again this year. "Last year was the first time we decided not to extend the South African season and not to encourage the Spanish and Israelis to start early and try and plug the October to December gap," said Key. "We have to deliver a ripe-and-ready -to-eat product to our customers and Chile fills that gap."

Latest information from the Chilean ministry of agriculture indicates that 2004 should be another record year for the product with exports expected to reach a high of 103,000 tonnes: about two-thirds of total production.

Although the US remains the prime destination, taking some 90 per cent of all exports at strong prices, sendings to France and the UK in particular are rising and tripled in 2003.

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