Derek Donkin, general manager of SAAGA which monitors the volume of fruit being packed in South Africa on a weekly basis, said: 'We will be exporting around 9.5 million cartons this year. First arrivals are docking now and shipments will continue through until October. The close of the South African season will be integrated with the start of the Spanish season.' SAAGA has led the way over the past seven years in increasing UK avocado consumption and South Africa has done more than any other producer country to develop the UK avocado market, now valued in excess of £25 million at retail.

SAAGA'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 1990s to 400g per head in the UK.

This effort has been complemented by a major increase in the percentage of fruit that is sold in Ripe-&-Ready-to-eat packs of two or more avocados, a development that – according to Nic Reay, past chairman of SAAGA – 'has had a major impact on getting shoppers to try the fruit for the first time, resulting in increased consumer penetration and repeat purchases'.

The quantity of South African avocados marketed as ripe-&- ready-to-eat increased by 25 per cent last season in comparison to the previous year and is expected to continue increasing.

This year is an off year for South Africa's avocados, but the industry believes improved production and shipping techniques are diminishing the effect of the traditional year-on-year fluctuation.

Cross-border collaboration with avocado producers around the world is also positively affecting the marketplace – with co-ordination of volumes balancing the supply and demand situation to the benefit of growers, marketers and customers alike.

The growing season was characterised by relatively low rainfall but with sufficient irrigation. As a result, fruit quality is expected to be good.

Hass represents roughly 44 per cent of the export crop, a proportion that increases significantly when looking at the UK market in isolation.

Picutred eft to right: Derek Donkin; Werne Seele, the new chairman of SAAGA; and Nic Reay

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