Monitoring avocado supply chain quality (AV22011)

What's it all about?

This project is improving the fruit quality of Australian avocados through an extensive monitoring and feedback program.

Fruit quality will be monitored in major and independent retail stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth and maturity monitored at the wholesale market. Detailed, timely feedback on quality will be provided to the supplying packhouse, and a deidentified report provided to the retailer. Supply chain tracebacks will be undertaken with packhouses where more than two of their samples in a season fall below the industry target of 90 per cent acceptable fruit, helping businesses identify opportunities for improvement and corrective action in real time throughout the season.

Supply chain quality monitoring will support active extension with high priority packers. Samples will be collected from wholesalers and ripening distribution centres, and assessed following a normal commercial ripening program, as well as following a 14-day storage challenge. A rapid library tray assessment method will also be investigated, to test fruit robustness and deliver quality insights in a shorter timeframe.

Deidentified results will be well communicated to industry through regional presentations, webinars, Talking Avocados magazine articles, and the Best Practice Resource.