You would be hard-pressed to find a café in Australia that doesn’t serve avocado. Whether is smashed, spread or sliced, you are bound to see it strewn throughout the menu. Tossed in a salad, smeared on your BLAT or lathered on your vegemite toast – avocado is very quickly becoming an Aussie norm (alongside meat pies, snags and Tim Tams)
The cost of these delicious green delicacies is however skyrocketing, with café and restaurant owners forced to decide between copping the brunt or increasing prices.
On average, a tray of avo’s will cost buyers between $30 and $40. At their cheapest, they can be purchased for as little as $20. Yet the current avocado climate has seen prices soar to an unprecedented $120 per tray, putting the hospitality industry and consumers alike, in a costly pickle.
There are a number of factors contributing to the current spike in prices. Namely short supply, high demand, weather conditions and market manipulation. The recent spate of rainfall and bushfires has had an adverse affect on growers throughout Australia. In addition to this, it is reported that farmers moved much of their produce during the pre-Christmas period in the assumption that sales would drop off after the festive season. In actual fact, the fruit remained in high demand, with no signs of slowing. According to Avocados Australia Australians have more than doubled their annual intake of avo’s (to an incredible 3.2Kgs) over the past decade, with this food that was once a delicacy now increasingly commonplace in Aussie households.
Forecasts suggest that supply tensions will ease come spring as the fruit from Queensland suppliers enters the market. In the meantime be prepared to spend top dollar for your avocado fix.
Via: SMH
Leave a Reply