The Avolution finds solution for 2nd grade avocados

North and central Queensland are currently harvesting avocados, and these regions are among the large producing areas. Despite cooler than normal weather for this time of year, not reaching extreme conditions, the climate has experienced a mix of warm days and cooler nights with dry conditions.

Antony Allen from Avolution notes, "Volumes are down 10-15%, and sizing is also smaller in north and central Queensland. This was expected due to the severe drought, where there was no rain for eight months, and growers had to rely on irrigation, which is never as good as rainfall."

When lockdown measures were implemented, many companies supplying the food service industry suddenly faced a halt in orders, requiring a shift in their business strategies. Antony explains the situation, "First, there was the panic-buying week where we saw a peak in sales of all commodities. Then there was the panic selling in the wholesale trade when everybody realized that food service would be shutting down. It took a few weeks to get back to normal, and the food service sector has slowly come back and is now at around 10-15%."

A significant portion of avocado sales comes from the food service sector, making up 25-30% of Avolution's business. Antony elaborates, "Fruit which supplies this is 2nd grade, so it was not easy to re-route this. The takeaway trade stayed good, the Mexican fast-food chains have continued to work well, so that is good. But, in the end, everybody is eating the same amount; they are just buying it from different places."

During this period, Odd Bunch avocados played a crucial role in adapting to the changes in the food service sector. Antony highlights, "The fruit which went to the food service is the same grade that goes into the Odd Bunch range. We were able to quickly channel avocados, which would have gone to food service, into the Odd Bunch range, mainly for Woolworths and Coles. Also, people suddenly wanted their produce pre-packaged for obvious reasons, and this range comes in nets, fitting in nicely."

In response to the shift in consumer behavior, akin to trends observed in other countries, food service suppliers initiated home delivery of veg boxes. Additionally, specific services emerged to deliver avocados—solely avocados—to homes.