South Africa is one of the world’s major avocado producers at around the 12th spot, yet its annual production of between 80 000 and 120 000 tonnes trail far behind top-producer Mexico’s 1.5 million tonnes.
Statistics of Avocado Production
The export estimate for the 2019 season from March to October is 14.5 million of 4 kg cartons, which amounts to 58 000 tons. Derek Donkin, CEO of the South African Subtropical Growers' Association (Subtrop) estimates that the total crop of 2019 will be in the region of 110 000 tonnes. This includes local, export and fruit sold for processing into an avocado puree and oil.
Future production of avocados in South Africa is expected to grow with an additional 1000 ha - 1500 ha to be planted annually for at least the next 5 years from 2019 onwards. Exports should exceed 20 million cartons at this rate of growth and will expand as long as the industry continues to grow.
The bulk of new plantings in South Africa are the black-skinned Hass and Hass-type avocados. New plantings of green-skinned avocados are aimed at either the early or late local market.
The informative ‘Avocado Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2019-2024’ report estimates an increase in avocado consumption in China. Already in 2017, China imported 22% more than the previous year. China imports avocados mainly from Chile, Mexico and Peru; all three countries having beneficial terms of trade with China.
Avocado Production Areas
Production of avocados is concentrated mainly in the humid, subtropical areas of Limpopo at 59%, Mpumalanga with 33% and parts of KwaZulu-Natal at 8%. As international and national demand for year-round availability of avocados has increased, so have plantings of new avocado cultivars extended into other provinces, such as the Western and Eastern Cape provinces.
World Production of Avocados
Approximately 76% of avocados are produced in the Americas, 11% in Africa, 9% in Asia and 2% in both Europe and the South Pacific. Mexico is the world’s biggest producer of avocados, with an approximation of 1.5 million tonnes out of global production of 3.2 million tonnes as of 2018.
South America, Colombia, Brazil, Chile and Argentina are the large producers of avocados, with Peru exporting 60% of South America’s volume. Colombia’s plantings are growing at a faster pace than South Africa’s, with 1 500 to 2 000 ha planted each year. Colombia has also become the largest exporter of Hass avocados in the world.
In Africa, avocado producers include South Africa at 120 000 tonnes; Kenya produces an estimation of 80 000 tonnes, Tanzania and Zimbabwe each produce 5 000 tonnes and newcomer Mozambique is at 1 000 tonnes.
Other countries producing avocados include the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar, Mauritius, Madeira, the Canary Islands, southern Spain and southern France, as well as Sicily, Crete, Israel and Egypt.
South Africa's Avocado Exports
Between 45 and 50% of South Africa’s avocados are exported and 10 - 15% is processed into oil and pulp. The rest is sold locally. The main importing countries of South African avocados are Europe - particularly the Netherlands, France and Spain, the UK, and the Baltic states at 95%. Small volumes are exported to Africa, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
South African industries and government are negotiating market access to the USA, mainland China and Japan. Currently, strict phytosanitary requirements limit access to these markets. Peru, as another southern hemisphere producer, is South Africa’s most serious competitor, both in volume and timing, for the supply of avocados into northern hemisphere markets.
By Marinda Louw
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