Call for Kiwis to grow our love affair with avocados

There’s no doubt New Zealanders love avocados and growers hope to increase our passion for this superfood even further, by getting us to eat more.

Auckland recently hosted the 10th world avocado Congress, where hundreds of growers and industry representatives gathered to discuss every aspect of the sector - including international rates of consumption. As part of this, bold goals were set for Kiwis to more than double their average avocado intake from 16 to 40 per year.

Currently Mexico leads the world, eating their way through 40 avocados per person every year. Here, while our most avid avocado lovers eat an astonishing 16 per month, for the rest of the population the average intake is 16 per year. The sustainability of our local avocado market relies on Kiwis eating more, says Congress spokesperson Jen Scoular. We grow enough avocados here for the whole population, so every avocado eaten supports our local economy. “We know that 60 percent of all avocados grown in New Zealand are eaten by just five percent of our people, so there is huge potential for growth here, we have definitely not peaked,” says Scoular.

The New Zealand climate is different from the hotter tropical environments typical for avocado production. Our unique mix of temperature, rainfall and nutrient dense soil produces distinct, delicious fruit. Most NZ avocados are grown in Northland and the Bay of Plenty, which are the “powerhouses” of the industry.

“Kiwis and avocados are a match made in heaven”, says NZ Avocado market manager, Matthew Ball. “For many, a weekend brunch isn’t complete without some avo on the plate but we like to think of avocados as a staple in the kitchen as they can be adapted for amazing meals any time of day; breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and even dessert – you name it!” And this versatile food is not only delicious, it’s also packed full of vitamins, nutrients, and healthy fats, while having low levels of sugar and sodium, making it a healthy choice, says Ball.

When it comes to choosing the perfect avocado, Ball recommends looking at the colour, shape and texture. Avocados change colour as they ripen, so choose one that has started to darken and is smooth. Avoid extremely soft avocados with very dark skin, or dented or flattened areas as this indicates bruising.

Avocados by the numbers:

1400 Growers in NZ

5000 Hectares of production

$234m Industry value (2020-2021)

14 International markets

7.5-9 million - 5.5kg trays of fruit per year