© Core FruitThe last avocados of ZZ2’s 2026 export season have been loaded for the journey to buyers in the EU and the UK, and they’re already thinking ahead to next year. One of the major topics that will exercise the minds of attendees at Madrid Fruit Attraction will be the impact of the predicted ‘super’ El Niño. It might, says Rouxan Jansen van Rensburg of Core Fruit, bring about a season quite different from this year’s avocado season.

“Peru was early in the market this year, and in an ideal situation it would not have been such a big deal, except that we, in turn, were late as a result of the tremendous amount of rain in the north,” he says. Peru’s avocado volumes are larger than South Africa’s several times over, and the latter’s plan A is always to make hay before Peru gets seriously going.

There’s already talk of a reduction in the Peruvian avocado crop caused by this super El Niño, potentially leaving a bigger space for South African fruit. Also, the hotter and drier climate predicted will, they hope, benefit the quality of the 2027 crop and possibly even let them start earlier than usual.

Core Fruit markets ZZ2’s avocados in the UK and Europe, still unrivalled pricewise during South Africa’s early window. “In ten years’ time the picture will probably look a bit different, but what makes us unique is that because we’re quite early, there’s a window for our early avocados in Europe and the UK. Where peaks develop, where the markets are oversupplied, one is forced to look for markets elsewhere. It’s a question of supply and demand. But in the EU and the UK, when demand is higher than supply, it’s still a great market for us.”

© Core Fruit

For more information:
Rouxan Jansen van Rensburg
Core Fruit
Tel: +27 21 863 6300
Email: [email protected]
https://www.corefruit.com/