f avocados from New Zealand this summer could force Queensland farmers to change their harvesting schedules next year. About 60 per cent of New Zealand's expected crop of five million trays is destined for Australia, which could cause a glut of fruit. But the industry has been alleviating oversupply pressures by helping control the release of fruit onto the market.Since 2006, it's been providing regular forecasts to growers about how much fruit is expected to go to market and at what time. The aim is to moderate supply and even out peaks and troughs to keep prices steady and fruit fresh as it moves through the chain.
Avocados Australia CEO John Tyas says it maintains transparency, and is made possible by the flexible nature of avocado picking. "Growers have flexibility around when they harvest the fruit, so once it's (the fruit) reached its optimum level of maturity, growers can decide to harvest it this week, or next week, or next month."
He denies there's any collusion to take advantage of controlling supply and prices.
Mr Tyas says Avocados Australia just provides the information, and separates itself from the commercial sector.
"Obviously, there'll be conversations between suppliers and buyers; the major chains will lock in contracts... but as an organisation, we don't get involved in any of those commercial deals."
Now the industry is preparing for high volumes of fruit from New Zealand and Western Australia. It won't affect Queensland yet because growers have finished their 2014 harvest. The state's 400 growers produced about 6.5 million trays this season.
But John Walsh, from Simpson Farms near Childers, Queensland's largest grower and processor, says the expected oversupply could change their thinking for next season. He says there'll be more fruit than normal on the market when harvest begins in March.
"We'll first start making our plans once... we get an idea of what our crop volumes are like, and from there, we'll need to know how much fruit we'll need to move each week."
Avocado growers pay a research and marketing levy equating to 7.5 cents per kilo of fruit.
