Australia
16. Dr. Anthony W. Whiley stated that the Australia avocado industry was founded in the 1930’s but it is only since the 1980’s that the crop has shown significant expansion. Production in Australia is based on Guatemalan or Mexican race varieties that have a high oil content. The range of varieties and climates where the crop is grown gives year-round production; however, supply during the summer months is low and fruit is imported from New Zealand during this period to meet consumer demand.
17. The 1996/97 production was estimated at 18,000 tonnes of which approximately 60% is produced in Queensland and 30% in new South Wales. Other states with commercial avocado production include Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, the latter with a rapidly increasing tree population. The main varieties grown are ‘Hass’, ‘Shepard’, ‘Fuerte’ and ‘Sharwil’ which cover the full range of maturity from early to late season production. The industry is based on seedling rootstocks although elite selections that have been vegetatively cloned are now being evaluated, e.g. ‘Velvick’, and ‘Duke 7’.
18. The industry has a regulated nursery scheme (Avocado Nursery Voluntary Accreditation Scheme) for the production of “true-to-type”, and disease-free trees which is supported by technical experts from the Queensland and New South Wales Agricultural Departments. Since its inception in the late 1970’s there has been a marked improvement in the quality of trees produced by the nursery industry.
19. Orchard, postharvest and marketing technology has been traditionally delivered to the industry through the Departments of Agriculture of the various states but to counter shrinking government resources, software management and information packages (AVOMAN and AVOINFO) have been developed and enjoy widespread industry support. The average industry yield is about 7 t/ha though the best growers attain sustainable yields of 18 to 23 t/ha.
20. A minimum fruit maturity standard of 21% is set for the industry and fruit may not be legally marketed until this level has been reached. When direct marketing to the chain stores there is a requirement for growers to implement a Quality Assurance program to ensure that a minimum quality standard is met and fruit pesticide residues do not exceed the legal limits.
21. The industry has structured promotional and R, D & E programs in place that are supported by a mandatory production levy collected from all growers at the point of wholesale. Industry priorities are set every five years and a strategic plan is formulated to ensure that goals are met on schedule.
22. Fruit quality is the major constraint faced by Australian growers in further developing the domestic market. The presence of fruit-fly in Australia has prevented access to lucrative markets in Japan, Korea and New Zealand. Continued investment in R & D programs focussing on issues limiting market development is likely to yield results that will solve industry problems.
China
23. Professor Liu Kangde informed the participants that China has an area of about 133 ha under avocado cultivation and produces some 1,000 tonnes of fruit. Avocado is mainly grown in the South China provinces (Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Fujian, Guizhou, etc.). The climate and soil in these provinces are suited to avocado cultivation. Large parts of land in the Southwest China provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan are also suitable for avocado cultivation. At present, there are no large orchards under commercial cultivation in China.
24. China has more than 70 imported varieties of Mexican, Guatemalan and West Indian race, and over 10 superior local selections. The present major varieties for commercial planting in Hainan include Bacon, Zutano, Duke and Mexicola of Mexican race; Hass, Nabal, Reed, Taylor and Linda of Guatemalan race; Pollock, Sharwil and Murashige of West Indian race; hybrids (Fuerte, Lula, Booth 7, Booth 8 and Hall); and local selections (ST3, ST6, ST9, ST10).
25. The planting materials used are mainly polybag-raised seedlings and polybag grafted plants. The latter are commonly used at present. Patch-budding of older stocks in polybags and cleft grafting of young seedlings (30 days old) have been successfully practiced; however, the grafted plants can be planted out 1 year earlier than the patch-budded plants.
26. Avocados are planted at a spacing of 4m × 5m or 5m × 6m in Hainan. Inter-planting of A and B group varieties needs to be considered when new orchards are to be established. Irrigation is necessary under dry conditions. Excessive dampness may promote root rot.
27. Root rot, caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi, is the most serious disease in mature orchards. It is controlled by Alliette (as a soil drench or for tree injection) or Ridomil (as a soil drench). Collar rot, caused by Phytophthora citricola, is the most serious disease in young orchards, and is also controlled by Alliete. The most serious pest is Serica sp., attacking the tender leaves of avocado in Hainan. It can be controlled by Dichlorvos (spraying or as soil drench).
28. Avocados give a commercial yield of 7.5 - 15 tonnes/ha in Hainan. Some varieties such as Lula, Pollock and the local selection ST3 give a yield of 15 tonnes/ha, and their fruit quality is acceptable.
29. The constraints for development of avocado production include little awareness of the nutritional value of the fruit, difficulties in marketing, natural calamities, inadequate information on improved varieties for each agro-ecological zone, weak extension service etc. However, little awareness of its nutritional value and difficulties in marketing are the major constraints. Publicity for avocado is badly needed.
30. China has a great potential of developing avocado production. It has a large population and hence a large domestic market. There is a large part of hilly land suitable for avocado planting in South China. Moreover, there is a collection of over 70 avocado varieties in the country. The Chinese government has attached great importance to the research and development of avocado. Research on avocado was included in the key priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture during 1986-1995. Companies and farmers are now encouraged to plant avocado, although no further large financial support is given to the development of avocado production at present.
India
31. Dr. S.P. Ghosh indicated that avocado is still a minor fruit crop for India. It was introduced from Sri Lanka in the early parts of the 20th century, and presently it is cultivated in a scattered way in tropical south Indian states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra. The crop is also popular in the north eastern Himalayan state Sikkim, where it is grown successfully on hill slopes at an elevation range of 800-1,600 m. Climatically, it is grown both in tropical areas experiencing summer rains and in humid sub-tropics with mild winter. The range of mean maximum and minimum temperature in the Niligiri Hills of Tamil Nadu (South India) where avocado is grown is 27.2 °C to 33.9 °C and 14.9 °C to 22.2 °C, respectively. In the north eastern state Sikkim the avocado growing area experiences temperature range from 12 °C to 30 °C with average rainfall of 2,000 mm.
32. All three horticultural races, namely West Indian, Guatemalan and Mexican have been tried in India and the varieties Fuerte, Hass and Green performed well at different places. The harvesting season of fruit is from July to September and a tree of 10-15 years old produces 300-350 fruits per year. Vegetative propagation is still not a common practice, and in Sikkim all the trees are of seedling origin. There is no serious plant protection problem experienced so far and with a little technological support avocado can come up well in India.
33. For better nutritional security, the nutrient rich avocado is considered as a potential fruit crop for India. Moreover, the tourist industry is growing quickly and there is an opportunity to develop this crop to meet the demand by the hotels. There is, therefore, a large potential domestic market. In addition, the promotion of avocado as a shade tree for tea and coffee production may stimulate development of the crop.
34. The major limitation in avocado production development is the lack of awareness of the nutritional value of the fruit. Avocado is not widely recognised in India, and there is a strong competition from other fruit crops such as banana, mango, grapes etc. Also, there is a very limited varietal base at present.
Indonesia
35. Professor Sri Setyati Harjadi mentioned that avocado was introduced into Indonesia by Spanish merchants during the 17th century. The toal area under cultivation is estimated to be about 15,000 ha and the production about 117,000 tonnes. About 71,000 tonnes are produced in Java and 46,000 tonnes in the outer islands. The major producing area in the Java island is West Java followed by East Java, while Central Java produces much smaller quantities. In the outer islands the major producing areas are West Sumatra, Jambi, South East Nusa and South Sulawesi. Very small quantities of avocado are imported and exported annually.
36. The preferred varieties are Ijo Panjang, Ijo Bundar and Gondor, all of Mentega (butter) type. Avocados are mainly grown in home gardens. There are no organized commercial plantations. After planting very little care is taken of the trees. Seedlings are widely used as planting material. Very few plants are vegetatively propagated. Presently, there are no specialized nurseries for the production of planting material.
37. There is a very good potential for avocado production development in the country. However, there are no government plans at present for the development of the avocado industry. Major limiting factors in avocado production development are: a) the unavailability of improved varieties and suitable rootstocks for each agro-ecological zone; b) the lack of quality planting material; c) very poor knowledge of the farmers in appropriate cultural practices to be followed; and d) lack of trained manpower (research and extension personnel) in avocado.
Myanmar
38. U Aung Soe explained that avocado was introduced into Myanmar over 60 years ago. It was first planted at Pyin Oo Lwin (formerly known as May Myo), a hilly resort in the Mandalay Division. From there it was taken to the Shan, Kayah and Chin States. Today, the main areas of cultivation are in the Shan State. Avocado is mainly grown as a backyard crop, although some scattered plantations can be seen in a few areas, especially in the Shan State.
39. The trees grown are all from seedlings. No budding or grafting is practiced. There has been no research or developmental work for this crop in the past. There has been no effort to introduce improved commercial varieties from abroad for testing and evaluation. As a result, such improved varieties are missing. The farmers raise their own seedlings and plant them in the field at the beginning of the rainy season. After planting, little care is taken of the plants.
40. There are very good prospects for avocado production development in the country. There is, at present, a serious human nutrition problem and the development of avocado, as a food source, would assist in alleviating the problem. In addition, there is an expansion of tourism in Myanmar, and this may provide an opportunity to develop this crop. It is quite possible that, because of the different agro-ecological zones, there will be a production all the year round. The main obstacles in the development of the crop are: a) the poor recognition of avocado as a food crop by the people of Myanmar; b) the unavailability of improved varieties; c) the lack of vegetatively propagated high quality planting material; d) lack of technical knowledge of the farmers on needed crop management practices; and e) lack of trained research and extension personnel on avocado.
Philippines
41. Dr. Rachel C. Sotto said that the avocado was first brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards in 1890 from Mexico, but it was only during the period of 1902-1907 that it was successfully introduced into the country by the Americans. At present, it can be found growing mostly in backyards all over the country. The top three leading producing regions in the country are Cagayan Valley, Central Visayas and Southern Tagalog. Two distinct forms of the avocado exist in the country. These are the purple-fruited form and the green-fruited form. Local varieties which fall under the purple-fruited forms are ‘Calma’, ‘Cardinal’, ‘Parker’, ‘RCF Purple’, ‘Uno’ and ‘227’, while ‘240’ and ‘Cepillo Green’ fall under the green-fruited form. A few private nurseries and government institutions are involved in the production of seedlings as well as grafted plants of avocado.
42. Avocado is not grown on a commercial scale in the country. It is mostly planted in backyards or in mixed orchards with minimal care. The most serious disease attacking the avocado is root rot caused by the fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi and it seems that the best control measure is to avoid planting in waterlogged areas. Harvesting of the avocado is carried out when the fruits exhibit reddish-purple streaks on the stem-end in the case of purple-fruited forms and the change in color from green to light green in green-fruited forms. Harvesting of the fruits is done with the use of a long bamboo pole with a wire hook and a net attached to catch the fruits. These are then brought to the market together with other farm produce by the farmer himself. In other instances, the middleman or ‘comprador’ who dictates the farm-gate price buys the fruits from the farmers and sells them in the market at a higher price.
43. Though the avocado was introduced into the country a century ago and is distributed all over the archipelago, it has not gained the importance and acceptance enjoyed by mango, banana and pineapple. Primarily, the avocado does not appeal to the Filipino palate which favors fruits with sweet or sub-acid flavor. Most of the Filipinos are also not aware of its varied uses as well as its nutritional qualities. There is, at present, lack of funds for avocado research and development. Varieties with attributes like high oil content, long shelf-life and resistance to root rot are lacking. However, varieties with very good fruit qualities are available, but there is a lack of supply of certified planting material.
44. Inspite of all these limitations, there is a bright future for avocado production development in the Philippines. Firstly, being well naturalized and well distributed throughout the country, a wide variation in plant and fruit characters exists thus offering a rich material for the selection of superior trees. The existing climate in the Philippines is also ideal for the commercial cultivation of the avocado. Secondly, the long fruiting season of avocado which is from January to March and May to September provides the possibility of a year-round supply of avocado fruits. Thirdly, the excellent nutritional qualities of the avocado together with its varied uses are valid reasons for developing the production of this fruit. Lastly, the avocado can be easily propagated vegetatively and can, therefore, be easily multiplied on a commercial scale.
45. It is, therefore, foreseen that orchards of avocado, one of the country’s promising fruits, will be established in the future for the production of high quality fruits for local consumption. The country has a “food for children” programme which provides meals at schools. There is an opportunity to tap into this programme with avocado, thereby developing the crop to address the malnutrition problems of the country.
Sri Lanka
46. Mr. Moses Dionysius reported that avocado is a popular fruit crop in Sri Lanka like mango, banana and rambutan. The first introduction of avocado into the country is unknown, but there is a recorded introduction on 12 May 1927. From that time up to 1940 several varieties were introduced including Datton, Puebla, Winslowson, Nabal, Grothfry and Pollock. During that period the Government was concentrating on promoting tea, rubber, coconut and rice. As a result fruit crops, including avocado, did not receive much attention.
47. The total area under cultivation with avocado is estimated to be 826 ha. The great majority of the trees are grown in home gardens, and over 95% of them are from seedlings. Presently, avocado is grown successfully in the districts of Kegalle, Kandy, Matale and certain areas of Nuwara Eliya. Other potential areas are Gampaha, Kurunegala and Colombo. Apart from the wet zone, avocado is becoming popular in the intermediate zone as a home garden crop. The fruit is consumed locally. However, very small quantities are exported to Middle East and European countries. In 1997 about 3 tonnes of fruit were exported.
48. A real breakthrough in avocados came during the period of 1986-1987 with the introduction of 17 varieties from Australia, U.S.A. and Cyprus, under the UNDP funded and FAO executed project SRL/84/013 - Horticulture (Fruit) Development. These varieties were planted in different agro-climatic regions for testing and evaluation. Four varieties (Fuerte, Booth 7, Simmonds and Tower II) were selected and released by the Varietal Releasing Committee of the Department of Agriculture in 1995. Already, 14,000 grafted plants of these four varieties were produced in the Government nurseries and distributed to the farmers. In addition, a “Top Working” programme with new varieties is successfully carried out in two districts.
49. The peak production period is between May and August and the low production period between September to March. However, a recent study on “On-tree Storage” indicated that it is possible to have avocados during the off-season period of April-May. Therefore, year round production appears to be possible.
50. Very recently, an attempt has been made by the Plantation Crops Sector to grow avocado on a large scale as an alternative to traditional export crops such as tea, rubber and coconut, under a crop diversification project. With the declining plantation crop prices there is a opportunity to develop avocado as an alternative revenue source. However, marketing is still unorganized and efforts in this direction will be much needed. The awareness programme undertaken by the Horticulture Research and Development Institute, regarding the nutritional value of avocado, is a step in the right direction. However, a stronger R & D programme is needed for the country.
Thailand
51. Prof. Chalongchai Babpraserth informed the participants that avocado was introduced into Thailand by missionaries 90 years ago and planted at Nan province. In 1985 the Department of Horticulture, Kasetsart University, introduced some varieties including Kanoe, Ruehle and Kampong Monk and planted them at Pakchong Research Station, Nakhon Rajasrima province. In 1975, 11 new varieties were introduced from Florida, U.S.A., and planted at the same Station. The introduced from Florida varieties were Buccanaer, Booth 7, Booth 8, Catalina, Choquette, Hall, Lula, Peterson, Queen, Taylor and Waldin. The varieties Hass, Bacon and Reed were introduced in 1993 from California. At present, avocado trees are found growing in Nakhon Rajasrima, Chaiyaphum, Nan, Tak, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Rayong and Songkhla provinces. However, the biggest concentration is in the Northern and Northeastern regions. In 1998, the total area under cultivation in the North was 200 ha, in the Northeast 50 ha, in the East 5 ha and in the South 5 ha.
52. About 84 ha of avocado were planted in 1997 by hilltribe growers under the Royal Project Foundation in northern Thailand. However, many growers planted seedlings, and efforts are being made to persuade them to graft or bud their seedlings with recommended varieties such as Buccanaer, Hass, Peterson, Booth 7 and Ruehle. Presently, about 4,000 grafted/budded plants are produced annually by the Pakchong Research Station and the Royal Project Foundation for distribution to the growers.
53. Harvesting time is from July to December. The production is small and the fruit is sold in the domestic market. The demand in the local market is limited at present as people are not aware of the nutritional value of the fruit. Some quantities of high quality fruit (mainly of the Hass variety) are imported from New Zealand and Australia and are available in the big supermarkets.
54. In general, avocado is relatively unknown to Thai people. Current prices for locally produced fruit are low with little interest by growers in producing avocados. Technical knowledge on growing avocado is poor and training for extension staff on cultural practices is required. Current production is largely from seedling trees. There is a need for a much vigorous Research and Development avocado programme. There is also a need for an awareness programme. Thai schools have a food programme for children and there are opportunities to introduce avocados into this programme. There are also opportunities to improve hillside tribe agriculture by growing avocados. The development of avocado as a crop of hillside tribes can assist in improving their income.
Vietnam
55. Dr. Nguyen Minh Chau pointed out that avocado was introduced into Vietnam by the French in 1940 and planted at Lam Dong province. In the 1960’s, some new varieties were introduced from the Philippines. At that time the avocado growers were able to make good money from avocados due to high demand from consumers, mostly foreigners living in the country. The Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI) has introduced recently from Australia the varieties Hass, Reed, Ettinger and Sharwil, which were planted in the South and North Vietnam. However, there has been no serious varietal improvement programme up to the present, except for a collection of varieties at the Hung Loc Agricultural Research Centre, Dong Nai province, by Professor Hau.
56. Presently, there are no statistical figures regarding the area and production of avocados in the country. However, the crop is grown extensively in the upland parts of Vietnam (provinces of Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Lam Dong and Dac Loc in the South and Phu Tho in the North). The avocado trees are used for intercropping or to provide shade for coffee and other crops or as a backyard crop. There are no organized commercial plantations. The trees grown by growers are from seedlings. Avocado fruits are available in the domestic market from February to August, but the main fruit season is from May to July. The prices in the local market are very low in comparison with other fruits.
57. It appears that there are very good prospects for avocado production development in Vietnam, and the Government has started to pay due attention to this crop. In fact, avocado today is included in the list of the seven priority fruit crops for development. However, this development is hampered by a number of constraints. These are: a) unawareness of the Vietnamese people of the nutrition and health benefits to be derived from consuming avocados; b) unavailability of improved varieties for each agro-ecological zone; c) lack of vegetatively propagated high quality planting material for distribution to the farmers; d) lack of knowledge of the farmers in crop management practices to be followed; and e) untrained research and extension personnel in avocados. A well-thought and prepared programme will be needed to address the above limitations.
