On The Land
9 November, 2025
Solid season for local avo growers
NORTH Queensland avocado producers, particularly those on the Tablelands and Mareeba-Dimbulah Irrigation Area, have produced 32% of the State’s total crop of 76,501 tonnes.
Last year, Tablelands and Mareeba-Dimbulah Irrigation Area produced 6.65 million equivalent trays of avocadoes.
The estimated value of the crop was $133 million to the North Queensland primary production economy.
In all, the North Queensland region has produced an average of 27% of the State’s total crops.
This augurs well for the coming 2025-26 season, depending upon weather conditions which can affect most sectors of the avocado industry’s flowering and fruit setting processes.
Tableland avocado producer Lawrence Massasso said the Shepard variety crop of avocadoes is expected to yield around 10% more this year than last season.
“At this stage Haas variety production looks to be similar to last year’s crop,” he said.
He said the timing of the fruit maybe a little later than last year’s crop due to a longer cool period.
“However, this will probably be made up as the year warms up,” Mr Massasso said.
Nationwide, avocado production volume has increased over the past decade from 66.716 tonnes to 131,385 tonnes, netting a Gross Value Production of $794 million for an average domestic wholesale price of $6.14 per kilo.
In fact, on average over the past two seasons, Queensland growers have produced 50% of the national avocado production and Western Australia and Northern Territory an estimated 36%.
For FY2024/25, total production decreased by 13% respective to the previous year, from 150,913 to 131,385 tonnes.
While last year’s Western Australia avocado crop has decreased 44% respective to the previous year, the Queensland regions increased 19% in total from 64,071 to 76,501 tonnes produced in this same period. (Details sourced from infocado)
Little wonder that local avocado producers are keeping a keen eye on their trees and weather and climatic factors because of their effect on local avocado crop yields and returns.
Locally, and similar to other tree cropping across the Tablelands and MDIA Mareeba-Dimbulah production areas, avocado trees have produced sporadic flowing and fruit set.
Latest statistics confirm that local avocado production revenue remained third largest with a total crop value of $151 million. There are 85 current avocado growers across the region.
