Annual avocado harvest expected to double

The annual avocado harvest in the Southern Cape has been increasing annually and the trend continues in 2025.

- Alida de Beer

Between 5 000 and 7 000 tonnes are expected to come off the trees in the Western Cape in the coming months, of which the majority will be from the Southern Cape. This is a doubling of last year's harvest.

According to Derek Donkin, the CEO of the South African Subtropical Growers' Association (Subtrop), the growth is due to new entrants to the industry and existing growers expanding their orchards. Subtrop manages the affairs of the SA Avocado, Litchi and Mango Growers' Associations.

"We are still in the process of determining the extent of the growth. There have been new plantings from Swellendam to Plettenberg Bay. Last year, 3 000 tonnes of avocados were harvested in the Western Cape, with the majority from the Southern Cape. The expected doubling of production this season is evidence of extensive expansion of the past few years as new orchards are starting to come into production. It takes around seven or eight years for avocado orchards to reach full production, so we expect to see continued growth in years to come."