The South African avocado crop is in similar shape to last season, with forecast volumes of between 9.8 million and 10m trays, or 40,000 tonnes.
Paul Devlin, managing director of South African avocado producer and marketer HL Hall (International), told freshinfo: “The quality is good at this stage - South Africa has had exceptional quality for the last couple of years.”
Green-skinned varieties are expected to come on stream in the last week of March or the first week of April, and will continue until the end of August or start of September. South African Hass avocados are due to enter the marketplace in May and volumes will be available until September.
Devlin said: “Demand for South African avocados is good and we are really excited about it. HL Hall has increased its volumes, from 1.5m 4kg boxes last year up to 2m 4kg boxes this season.”
There are 1,500-1,600 hectares of avocado production supplying into HL Hall this year.
Last month, the firm announced the opening of an office in Paris.
Devlin said: “Our business supplying the EU has exploded over the last three years and we work directly with the major supermarket chains in France, Germany, Scandinavia and Switzerland, hence the opening of the second office.
“We still show significant support to the UK market, but we have had to diversify as a company and react to market conditions as our crop has grown. We are in a very exciting place and are looking forward to the future,” he added.
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