THE planets have aligned for avocado growers, with some receiving the best prices they've seen in 40 years.
Sydney Markets figures show high-grade Hass avocados achieving up to $55 a carton for July, averaging about $46, with other lines achieving similar averages over the $40/carton mark.
The prices have been sustained for several weeks now, even up on last year's average at this time of year of about $36/carton.
A decade ago, such figures were the stuff of dreams.
Markets figures show cartons of top-line Hass averaging about $20 with the lowest quality achieving just $13.
The trajectory to improved returns has not been an overnight rocket, says Antony Allen, president of the International Avocado Society and former Avocados Australia CEO.
"It's been building for the past 10 to 15 years, he said. "There have been ups and downs in that past decade but it has been a steady increase."
He puts it down to a considerable amount of hard work and collaboration between growers, marketers and researchers.
"Nothing comes from nothing. We've been doing product positioning for a long time and built up the brand's presence," Mr Allen said. "Avocado growers have backed themselves and are now enjoying elevated grower returns."
Mr Allen is now the CEO of the co-operative marketing group, The Avolution, which provides avocados year round.
Some of those down times included an oversupply in September and October 2011 when prices dropped to between $9 and $14/carton.
Mr Allen said this prompted many within the industry to rethink their businesses; that thinking had continued to steady the ship.
"Nobody is resting on their laurels. We need to manage it carefully when looking at a good sustainable position, we need to keep it flowing and take a careful approach," he said.
Part of that positioning has been to show the versatility of the fruit.
There are few fresh vegetables or fruit that can feel at home at breakfast as much as they do at supper.
Avolution grower Lachlan Donovan, Childers said was pleasing to see the solid prices of late, something he put down to avocados becoming almost a staple item.
"There's been a huge amount of marketing that's really driven it," he said.
"Overall production has increased but not as much as demand."
The Wide Bay region was severely hit with severe wet weather and flooding in 2010 and 2013, something which impacted growers.
Recent conditions had been ideal, although Mr Donovan said it did take a while to get over such substantial flooding.
It was a thought echoed by Judy Prosser, the general manager of avocado supply company Sunfresh, who said some growers still hadn't caught up since the last lot of Queensland flooding so higher prices were a nice change.
She said the business had snared some of the magic $50/carton money in Melbourne. Avocados were selling extremely well and a continual supply had been met despite crops being down in some areas - perhaps because of poor pollination rates.
"It's just steady, steady. We just keep rolling them out," Ms Prosser said.
"So long as growers stay together and no one gets greedy and starts pushing fruit onto the floor, then I can't see a dramatic drop in price," she said.
"I'm confident prices will stay up for a while."
Mickey takes on the Mini
THE hassle of small fruit has been turned into an opportunity for fruit marketing group Avolution.
The business has become the exclusive supplier of Mickey and Mini Mouse Mini Avocados to Woolworths.
The packs contain five small avocados that are small enough to be each used in a single meal, leaving no waste.
Avolution CEO Antony Allen describes them as “perfect kid size”.
The Mini Avocados were launched in NSW this week, with plans to roll out the product to other states in the next few weeks.
Mr Allen said the packs were an example of major supermarkets using the entire crop.
He said initiatives such as selling misshapen fruit at lower prices and stocking products such as processed, ready-to-eat dips had given more people access to avocados.