The area of land planted with avocados and other products in Israel is set to increase significantly over the coming 10 months ahead of start of the traditional Shmita, a sabbatical year taken at the end of Judaism's seven-year agricultural cycle, in September 2014.
As laid out in rabbinical law, no new planting will be permitted for the 12 months until September 2015, so the area under new planting of avocados and, indeed, other crops will be increased during the first three quarters of 2013 to compensate.
Israel continues to cultivate around 7,000ha of avocado production, with this year's yield expected to be around 85,000-90,000 tonnes.
Just over 50 per cent of the crop is targeted for sale outside Israel, with the Hass variety dominating export volumes and Ettinger commanding the lion's share of local sales.
Of the total area, about 600ha are classed as young plantations, with Hass making up over 65 per cent of this segment.
With erstwhile export giant Agrexco having fallen from the top of the exporter list when it comes to Israeli avocados, there has been a necessary consolidation among the other export companies.
For the forthcoming season, about 75 per cent of the export business will be shared by Mehadrin and the slightly smaller Galilee Exports.
Mehadrin is set to export all of the fruit produced by Avocado Granot.
Galilee Exports, meanwhile, as part of the Miloupri Organisation, will market all fruit from that area, together with some of the fruit packed by Tsemach Avocado.
A smaller share of the export market is held by Arava Export Growers, which markets produce from Kedem Hadarim to Russia and from other packhouses to the EU, and by Mor International.
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