Avo’ go at the price of these avocados

If you’ve been into a supermarket recently, you’ve likely seen huddles of shoppers in the fruit and vegetable section, pushing their way to the front of the fruit bins to grab something…

Carefully selecting avocados from the precarious mountain, grabbing one and giving it a sneaky press check, before delicately placing it into their trolley, and repeating again, and again, and again.

You may wonder to yourself as you pass the leafy greens, what does that woman need with 8 avocados? Well, wonder no more.

Avocados are selling in all major supermarket chains right now, for around a dollar each. That’s just one gold coin. You can’t get much for one dollar these days; well, except an avocado.

You may recall a few years ago when Melbourne property tycoon Tim Gurner told a current affairs program 60 Minutes, that the reason young people couldn’t afford to buy houses was that they were eating too many “$19 smashed avos” for brunch.

It seems now, the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction, with avocado prices hitting unbelievable lows due to an immense oversupply of the squishy green fruits, and farmers are struggling because of it.

“[In] about the last five years or so, the industry has really responded to the demand for avocados and there been a lot of plantings”, Avocados Australia CEO John Tyas said.

However, vast, lengthy lockdowns across New South Wales and Victoria combined with this massive supply, has resulted in an “industry [that] is really struggling”.

With 20 per cent of all Australian avocados going directly to the food services industry, losing these markets in New South Wales and Victoria due to lockdowns has had a catastrophic impact on the industry.

Farmers are losing massive amounts of money, as they can either sell the avocadoes for mere cents or let the avocadoes rot off of the trees.

Tyas’s best advice for consumers is to “buy more”, and to use the low, low prices to “have a go” at any avocado-hinged recipes they may have been eyeing off.

“Even if you mess it up, it won’t cost too much,” Tyas said.

Tyas suggested remixing the humble avo on toast by adding a little bit of balsamic vinegar.

Alternatively, Tyas recommended incorporating avocadoes into sweet dishes, with a wealth of different avocado recipes on the Avocadoes Australia website.  

Starts At 60 recommends this delicious, decadent, low-fat avocado chocolate cheesecake, if you do plan a foray into the sweet avocado recipes scene, or perhaps buying in bulk and using this cool storage tip to keep them ripe for longer.

Closing our conversation, Tyas said, “As Summer approaches and the weather warms up, there should be no salad without avocado”.

So, the next time you are making your way through the fresh food section at your local, when you peer over the mound of oranges to see a woman loading her overflowing trolley with avocado after avocado; instead of wondering what she is going to do with all of that green goodness, maybe take a leaf from her avocado tree, and grab a couple yourself.

She’s probably just capitalising on the cheap prices, and you should too. Go on, avo-go.