Australian producers are pleading with consumers to buy more of the much-loved fruit

Australian avocado producers are pleading with consumers to ease a rare oversupply burden by buying more of the much-loved fruit.

Producers say the industry’s rapid expansion over the past two years has resulted in about double the number of avocados in the country, which despite creating headaches for farmers has led to great value for consumers.

“When you go to the shops, don’t just buy a ripe one, buy a few hard ones for the next couple of days,” Tom Silver, an avocado grower in northern New South Wales, said on Wednesday.

Mr Silver, who is also the Tamborine and Northern Rivers director of Avocados Australia, said there were currently as many as 450,000 trays of avocado in circulation in Australia – an increase of nearly 200,000 from 2020.

He said while it has created a “really big supply” of avocados, the quality “remains very high”.

Mr Silver said it was hard to say precisely how much the price of avocados had fallen on the east coast as a result of the glut, but said farmers had “taken a hit at the gate.”

He said the cost of fertiliser had doubled, while freight and petrol prices continue to soar.

“That cost needs to be born by farmers – that’s the nature of the relationship,” Mr Silver said.

He said while most avocado growers had been spared the worst of recent flooding, the current problem was another setback from floodings endured earlier in the year.

Mr Silver said the massive industry expansion was ubiquitous across Australia’s main avocado-growing regions, such as Bundaberg, southeast Queensland, northern New South Wales, Mildura and south-west Western Australia.

Sydney-based nutritionist Kristen Beck said the nutritional benefits of avocados remained “under recognised”.

“They have so many health benefits,” Ms Beck said.

She said “robust” scientific research demonstrated the benefits of avocados in aiding weight loss, maintaining a healthy weight and controlling your waist circumference.

Ms Beck said avocados are packed full of healthy fats which combat inflammation, and that it was a common myth the fruit could lead to weight gain.

“Eating avocados improves the absorption of healthy nutrients in other fruit and vegetables,” Ms Beck said.

While one of her favourite ways to eat avocados is the Australian classic – with a poached egg on toast, Ms Beck said it was possible to get creative, with prices as low as they are.

“You can put them in smoothies – there is even a great avocado ice cream recipe with dates.”

Ms Beck said a healthy adult can easily eat as much as one avocado each day, so long as they were maintaining a healthy variety in their diet.