Shocking images have emerged of avocados being dumped by the truckload and left to rot in far north Queensland, but growers say it is just the tip of the iceberg.
The fruit became a symbol of luxury in 2016 when demographer Bernard Salt suggested young people could have saved for a house deposit sooner if they had refrained from expensive smashed avocado on toast at cafes.
But now, avocados are cheap at the supermarket and going to waste on the farm as supply outstrips demand.
Chair of FNQ Growers and Mareeba farmer Joe Moro said leaving ripe produce to rot was often the most economical decision for farmers for a range of reasons, including market price, substandard quality, and oversupply.
"They grow it to send to market and want to put the best product they can onto the plate and even though the farmer has made a commercial decision to dump the fruit it would still be a very emotional decision for them.
Social media users slam growers
While some social media users were quick to suggest farmers should donate the fruit, Mr Moro said even dumping it was expensive.
"You've got to employ people to pick the fruit, drive the trucks there, dump the product there, so it's another cost that will go through to the farmer," he said.
Mr Moro said the oversupply issue came on the top of increased input costs, including fertilisers, chemicals, and fuel.
Another Tablelands-based avocado grower, who did not want to be named, told the ABC he dumped produce on occasion because it wasn't up to standard and he did not want poor quality fruit in the market with his name on it.
What is causing the avocado oversupply?
Production nationwide has doubled over the past decade, as growers have cashed in on the nation's appetite for the fruit, with between 10 and 20 per cent of all avocados grown in Australia purchased by the food services sector.
Far north Queensland has traditionally supplied about two-thirds of Australia's avocados at this time of the year but this season's harvest has been savaged by the carryover of fruit from Western Australia creating a glut in the market for the second year in a row.
The big jump in production in 2021 was largely due to good seasonal conditions in Western Australia and a delayed harvest, forcing competition in markets that would typically be left for Queensland growers to service.
Avocados Australia chairman Jim Kochi said the quantity of produce going into market from north Queensland was high because trees that had been planted over the past five years were now bearing fruit.
"But there has been a lot of market disruption by floods in Sydney, floods in Queensland but other than that I really don't understand why more avocados aren't being taken up and eaten because the price is as low as it was 20 years ago.
Mr Kochi said dumping fruit was a last resort for growers, who were barely meeting production costs.
"There is a high supply, you could even say oversupply, of even the premium fruit and that puts the price down and value of second-grade fruit doesn't have any now so it's not worth the cost of putting it a box, paying for packaging and then freight on top of that," he said.
Planting consumer support
New orchards being established means production will continue to rise for years to come, which is expected to increase the pressure on the domestic market, making exporting fruit essential to building a sustainable model that offer confidence growers confidence.
As a result, the peak body has been placing increased urgency on forging new export markets, particularly Japan.
Australia also imports avocados from New Zealand as part of a free trade agreement, sharing the market from about August to February.
Avocados Australia chief executive John Tyas said the peak body had been actively trying to open and develop new export markets well ahead of this curve.
But with national avocado production reaching 90,000 tonnes in 2021, it had been unable to stay ahead of the industry oversupply.
The major hurdle facing Queensland avocado growers accessing the Japanese market was its strict biosecurity protocols, particularly concerning the Queensland fruit fly.
"That is progressing, and our Australian government has put proposals to Japan and we're waiting for feedback."
