Smashed avocados: fruit dumped in Queensland amid bumper harvest and rising transport costs (2024)

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Smashed avocados: fruit dumped in Queensland amid bumper harvest and rising transport costs? ›

Farmers have been forced to dump thousands of avocados in far north Queensland because of an oversupply of the fruit and increased transportation and packaging costs. Jan De Lai, a resident of Atherton in far north Queensland, posted the photos of the discarded avocados to Facebook after finding them at the tip.

“The cost of putting that stuff in a package, including the labour and the cost of packaging and the cost of transport is just not worthwhile,” he said. “So the option is just to dump it. “It's not only cheaper (to throw it away), you just can't afford to put the labour into packing.

Truckloads of avocados are being left to rot in far north Queensland. The fruit is now going cheap as supply outstrips demand. Market prices for avocados slumped after Queensland's season clashed with Western Australia's avo harvest.

At present, the collapse in prices can be explained mainly by an oversupply of avocados. Over the past decade, Australian farmers have increased the number of avocado crops they grow, and production has soared.

By 2026, Australia's avocado supply is expected to be more than double what it was in 2021. Consumers embraced lower prices brought on by the glut, but farmers say it is unsustainable. Avocados Australia says it is working to open new export markets to take the fruit.

Like a lot of modern agriculture, most avocado plantations rely heavily on fertilizer and fossil fuels, contributing to rising greenhouse gas emissions. They have smaller yields than a lot of other crops and so have a higher carbon footprint per kilogram of fruit.

A report by Climate Rights International further outlines the devastating toll of the U.S.-Mexico avocado trade: government officials in Michoacán and Jalisco identify avocado production as “a central cause of deforestation and environmental destruction in their states,” including water theft.

Once ripe, avocados can be kept in the refrigerator for an additional 2 to 3 days before they start to deteriorate. However, it's important to note that sliced or cut avocados tend to spoil more quickly due to increased exposure to air and moisture.

Avocado skin that has dimples, is wrinkly, and feels mushy or soft is often another sign that the fruit is overripe. If you cut into the avocado and discover that it's brown on the inside or tastes bitter, it may have gone bad. While eating overripe avocados is safe, you should never eat a rotten avocado.

Countertop, Fridge or Freezer? Until they're fully ripe, avocados should be stored at room temperature. Placing an unripe avocado in the refrigerator will slow the ripening process, but the same concept applies to ripe avocados: put them in the refrigerator to keep them at their prime ripeness for longer.

Why are avocados more expensive than bananas? ›

The main reason avocados cost so much is because it costs more to produce them, especially in terms of water usage.

Avocados are generally pricey, ranging between $1 and $2 apiece and sometimes even north of that amount. In response to our listener's question, one grocery store representative explained that the velvety, green fruit remains in demand throughout its lifespan, and that they're used in different items as they get older.

Avocados are a water-intensive crop, and meeting irrigation demand depletes water sources for local communities and leaves remaining native forests vulnerable to fire and disease, the groups said in the letter.

Avocado's unique nutrition profile is combined with a pleasant taste. Mexico and the U.S. are the largest avocado consumers in the world. While Mexico is also the largest producer and exporter, the U.S. mainly imports avocados from Mexico and partly exports its own avocados to neighbouring Canada.

Caterpillars, earwigs, Fuller rose beetles, June beetles and snails all chew avocado leaves.

Grafted trees bought from the nursery can take up to 4-5 years to bear fruit. If you choose to grow an Avocado from seed, it can take up to 10 years and is unlikely to be the same variety as the one that was planted. If you want to plant a good fruit-bearing tree, it's best to start with a grafted tree instead.

Why so many? Avocado production has boomed in Australia in recent years with enormous growth between 2017 and 2019, the report said. "Each year, during that period, over 1,000 hectares of avocado trees were planted, and [those] trees are still to mature and still to produce avocados," Ms Piggott said.

Barbara Goettsch, the team leader of the published study states, out of the five wild crop relatives of avocado three are facing extinction! Increasing temperature, high salinity due to rise in sea water level and pest & diseases all contribute to the malady.