21/07/2020 | South Africa

According to the latest estimates, avocado exports for 2020 are expected to decline by around 11.6% from initial forecasts.

 

 

 

South Africa should succeed in 2020 in exporting 16 million of 4kg boxes of avocados, a decline of around 11.6% from the initial forecast of 18.5 million of 4kg boxes. This decline is explained by the smaller size of the fruits due to the hot, dry summer.

 

 

 

However, even with this lower estimate, the export volume for 2020 will represent an improvement compared to the 2019 season where a total of 14.1 million boxes were exported.

 

 

 

"Every export season has its challenges and 2020 was no exception. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought additional challenges," said Derek Donkin, CEO of the South African Subtropical Growers' Association.

 

 

 

In addition to production problems, there were difficulties in South African ports and the drop in demand due to the closure of the restaurant and hotel sectors in many European countries.