Implementing best practice of avocado fruit management and handling practices from farm to ripening distribution centre

Abstract

This project identified and promoted improvements to practices in avocado supply chains from farms to retail distribution centres. The project team benchmarked farm and supply chain practices and performance, for review by industry supply chain personnel, and for the development of information resources. The most recent representative benchmarking of quality performance was undertaken in 2015 and projects leading up to 2019 suggested poor anecdotal adherence to best practice cool chain management.

Over the four years of 2019 to 2023, 179 supply chains were monitored with fruit originating in the five Australian production districts of Far North Queensland, central Queensland, central New South Wales, the Tristate area and south-west Western Australia. Data on farm/pack shed practices, cool chain practices and resultant fruit quality from supply chains was benchmarked and shared with the industry. The project identified and communicated the annual and district trends as well as the variability in fruit quality and management practices.

A key finding was that there is generally good fruit quality emerging from the avocado supply chains, with 87% of the individual fruit monitored meeting consumer expectations. This is very close to the industry’s repeat purchase target of 90% of fruit with less than 10% damage. In response to this finding, the project team focused efforts on tracing back and identifying root causes in the 34% of supply chains not meeting the industry target for quality. The primary causes of suboptimal post-harvest quality were found to be: ineffectiveness of in-field disease control programs and coverage; the poor health of trees; unfavourable periods of weather; poor tree nutrition, the lack of postharvest fungicide treatment; and longer transit times in the supply chains.