$3.5M research drive underpins Western Australian Market Access to Thailand

The Western Australian avocado industry is set to reap the benefits of more than $3.5M of investment into market access and trade initiatives following the Australian Government’s Hass market access outcome with Thailand.

Over the past decade, the avocado industry has strategically invested its levy through Hort Innovation into a wide range of trade-focused initiatives such as trade development, export strategies, consumer insights, market access research, international marketing activities and more.

Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield said securing new overseas markets for Australian avocados has been a key focus for industry for over 10 years.

“Australia’s avocado production is rapidly increasing year on year,” Mr Fifield said. “If Australian production continues in line with current forecasts, by 2025, there is likely to be 25,000 tonnes available for export.”

“The avocado industry has invested heavily in trade initiatives through Hort Innovation over the past decade, so gaining access for Hass avocados from WA in Thailand is a significant achievement. It follows the announcement earlier this year in March that Hass avocados can now be exported to India.”

“With a surplus of avocados coming, research and development has never played a more important role.”

Mr Fifield said that this announcement comes off the back of significant efforts across the avocado supply chain to be strategic about which overseas markets to focus on.

“In 2016, a levy-funded export strategy was developed which identified top potential markets and recommended the best strategic approaches to succeed in them,” he said.

“Thailand was identified as the highest priority for exports, given that it was the second largest export for Australian avocados before 2013 when Thailand introduced the new cold treatment protocol that put a halt to our exports.”

Western Australian avocado grower Alan Blight from AvoWest said the announcement is a win for industry.

“The Thailand market being back on the cards for Western Australian growers is a significant development for our industry, and a very welcome one,” he said. “I know industry is excited about the possibilities it presents.”

Various overseas market promotional activity is underway year-round through Grown in Good Nature, with scope for industry to leverage the program in Thailand in the future. For more information on the Australian avocado industry, see the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2021/22.