Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) said that the current supply glitch in South Africa's avocados should not be a primary concern for consumers but a temporary inconvenience Agbiz says avocado shortage will only be temporary.File picture : Armand Hough,Independent media
Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) said that the current supply glitch in South Africa's avocados should not be a primary concern for consumers but a temporary inconvenience. This follows IOL reporting that there was a shortage in supply of avocados at Woolworths last week.
Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, said that one must appreciate that avocado season in South Africa runs from February through to September. “Therefore, we were bound to have lower supplies around this time of the year. Secondly, South Africa exported a large volume of avocados in 2024 due to strong global demand, which led to tight domestic supplies. However, this is temporary; we could see supplies improving next month and prices moderating.”
Sihlobo added that we now have a diversified avocado industry with production in various South African regions with different yielding periods. “Importantly, we produce sizable avocados in this country, over 120,000 tonnes a year. Our production has increased notably over the past few decades due to the expansion in plantings on the back of strong demand locally and globally.”
Sihlobo said that the produce is for both the domestic and the export market. “We generally export about half of the harvest. Our key export markets include the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. Like other agricultural commodities, the South African avocado industry wants to continue widening its export markets to various regions to diversify and support its long-term profitability.”
Sihlobo added that he emphasises that this export drive is not at the expense of the domestic market; that remains important while we continue to expand the export markets. “There are generally sufficient supplies for the local market. Not every year do we see news of tight supplies. So, when you read that there were ample exports in 2024, such is good. We need to see continuous exports and new markets. Plenty of trees still have yet to bear fruit in this country, and the local market will not absorb them. For that, we need export markets.”
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