Market diversification, in-market promotion and strong retail partnerships boost Avanza presence across Asia
New Zealand avocado exporter Avanza – a joint venture between Southern Produce and Primor Produce – collectively markets around 50 per cent of the avocados from New Zealand and in 2025/26 it delivered its largest season on record.
“Avanza delivered record volumes across nearly all major export markets outside Australia,” says export marketer Henry McIntosh.
Despite a historically high proportion of New Zealand avocado exports going to Australia, the volumes have been in steady decline in response to Australia’s growing domestic production. According to Rabobank’s Global Avocado Update 2026 report, Australia accounted for more than two-thirds of the New Zealand’s avocado exports five years ago. By the 2025/26 season, it had dipped to just 22 per cent.
To offset this decline, the industry has invested in major market diversification efforts, actively expanding into Asia. The Rabbobank report revealed shipments to mainland China, Hong Kong and India nearly doubled in the 2025/26 season while exports to Taiwan and Korea rose by 50 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively.
While entering these new markets has opened up new opportunities for growth, it has also exposed the country to in-market competition from heavy weights such as Peru and Mexico.
“Australia was heavily supplied (in the 2025/26 season), and Peru was very active across our major Asian markets. This meant Avanza had to push harder than ever to protect market share and grow key retail programmes outside Australia,” McIntosh explains.
Despite this pressure, the organisation delivered record retail programmes across Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Canada while also actively exporting to 6 other markets each week.
“This diversification allows us to capitalise on specific opportunities and reduce reliance on any single destination,” McIntosh explains. “Our larger‑volume markets include Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Thailand, but our strategy is to progressively build value across all 11 markets rather than prioritising volume alone.”
While McIntosh notes there are increasing competitors, he still sees room for significant consumption growth across Asia.
“The outlook is positive,” he says. “We have several attractive opportunities this season that we intend to capitalise on, and we remain firmly focused on building a broad, resilient market base for New Zealand avocados.”
To support the increased activity across Asia, Avanza has invested directly in promotional funding and technical support throughout the season. Alongside it’s in‑market agencies, the organisation developed promotional plans designed to build consumption and reinforce the value of New Zealand avocados. The targeted campaigns included retail activations and merchandising competitions, as well as digital engagement.
As well as encouraging demand, the promotional activity also reinforced New Zealand’s premium position, highlighting the safety, quality and reliability of New Zealand fruit.
“New Zealand has a higher cost of production than some other origins, which places us firmly in the ‘premium’ space.” McIntosh says. “To justify that position, we must deliver high-quality fruit every week.”
As part of this commitment to quality, Avanza has protocols in place across its entire supply chain – from orchard to market – to capture any inconsistencies.
“Volume alone isn’t the goal,” McIntosh explains. “Our focus remains on delivering consistently high‑quality fruit, supporting retailers with reliable supply, and ensuring strong returns for growers.”
This article appears in the upcoming Asiafruit Magazine. For more coverage on New Zealand’s avocado industry, subscribe HERE.
