Exporting avocados

The Australian avocado industry has seen a new export-focused company formed by the seven largest avocado marketers. The Avocado Export Company (AEC) was established in May 2009 by a group of avocado growers to export avocados into international markets. AEC is trading as Avoz Exports and has already shipped its first sea container of avocados and has been shipping air-freighted avocados into Asian markets for the last two months.

Australia has a strong and growing avocado industry and the drive to export avocados has become essential. The newly formed AEC represents about 60% of all the avocados produced in Australia. Australian avocados are a sought-after commodity and a number of importers in various Asian countries expressed their delight with the fact that Australian avocados can now become a regular product supplied to their markets.

The company recently appointed Louis Grey as General Manager. Grey, who hails from South Africa, has extensive experience in the fresh fruit export markets and sees the Australian avocado industry becoming one of the major role players in the international market.

The advantage of the AEC is that it is owned by and for the sole benefit of its shareholders, who are all the major producers and packers of avocados in Australia. They realised the huge potential that Australia has as a brand and the quality associated with Australian horticultural produce. The result was the formation of the AEC to exploit the opportunities that present itself in the market.

The AEC has positioned itself to be the market leader in quality and volume of avocado exported to major international destinations.