Breanna Huynh
How avocados are steadily increasing, both in cost and the world.
With the trending rise of avocados, it should come to no surprise that the price of avocados has been steadily increasing. In one week, the price of an avocado went from $1.01 to $1.14 in California.
Ironically, on the same week, the average price of buying organic avocados decreased by one cent. That saying, the price of avocados are not as expensive as they were in 2017.
Ranging from around $1.25 per one avocado in the summer of last year, the price did decrease but is still at a price where it could increase as time goes on. The vice president of sales and marketing at Mission Produce, Brent L. Scattini, says, “Now that we have transitioned into the Mexican flor loca crop, the California crop winding down at a rapid pace…it is likely that we will see high prices for at least the next 9 to 12 weeks, and maybe longer.”
Climate changes, seasons, the trade, and the rise of supply and demand are all factors affecting the cost of avocados in California. The flora loca is part of the bloom where avocados grow in Mexico and is where California usually gets its avocados.
The bloom is hard to predict but the harvest is usually in August which is why avocados are usually in season for the summer and late fall. California mainly gets its produce from Mexico and its farms, so trade markets are a major influence.
With more demand for avocados and less supply of it, or supply and demand, this concept is why it might be hard for avocados to ship in the United States. Interferences in the negotiations between two countries can limit how much avocados are being shipped to the United States.
Not only that, but weather is another huge influencer in whether or not avocados will be expensive this year. Due to California’s droughts and heavy fires, there’s a likely chance that avocado prices will go up because of the decreasing surplus.
So far, the average consumption of avocados per week in the U.S. is around 47.63 million pounds. With that many people consuming avocados, the climate changes and weather could drastically reduce the supply of avocados.
With the increase in prices, avocados have been trending throughout the world. New Zealand is currently having an avocado shortage which is the reason for the rise in avocado related crime sprees.
In one case, two robbers stole $4,300 worth of avocados from an orchard. In another case, it was reported that 70% of a farmer’s avocados were stolen, ultimately causing him to $66k worth of produce. Besides the shortage of avocados, the average cost per avocado in New Zealand is $3.30.
California’s average price is exceptionally lower, but with the trend of avocados, nobody knows if the price may go up.
Avocado burger buns, toasts, fries, popsicles, and seeds are all of the different food trends that have been going around California since 2017. Luckily, there should be greater volumes of avocados coming into California this year with Mexico, Peru and Californian farms producing large crops.
The executive director of the Hass Avocado Board predicts, “There will definitely be more fruit than last year” and that the total volume will reach up to 2.4 billion pounds.” With the increase of avocados coming into California, if you haven’t tried any of the avocado trends, then you’re in luck.
