AVOCADO, A fruit which is often referred to as the ‘green gold’, is one fruit which has since been gaining global popularity, more so due to its rich nutritional profile.
The fruit is packed with vitamins, healthy fats, and minerals, which makes it a favourite among health-conscious people.
In Zimbabwe, avocado consumption is very common, which the fruit enjoyed across the whole country mainly as a fresh fruit, and in salads, as a ‘spread’ and as a dip.
However, the fruit possesses much more potential not just in its raw form, but additionally in the options available for value addition.
The Avocado may be transformed into a variety of products, thereby increasing its market value and profitability.
The versatility of avocado makes it a prime candidate for value addition. It can be processed into a wide range of products, each with its unique market.
These include avocado oil, guacamole, avocado flour, frozen avocadoes and even cosmetic products like body creams and hair treatments.
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is a high-value product derived from the fruit. It is rich in mono-unsaturated fats, which are heart-healthy fats.
This oil is not only used in cooking but also finds applications in the cosmetic industry due to its skin-nourishing properties.
The oil is usually mainly pressed from the avocado flesh, although the seeds and peel can also be a source of the oil, the different parts determining and influencing the quality of the oil.
The trends especially in developed markets, suggest that the demand for avocado oil continues to grow in popularity, more so as a result of the growth in healthy food concepts, plant-based dietary options, and also the demand for new products.
The statistics specifically for avocado oil export are not readily available, however, indications can be drawn from an assessment of other products such as olive oil which has a huge global demand, fetching average prices of US$6,337/ton in 2022, according to Trademap.
Avocado-Based Foods – Guacamole, Avocado Flour
Avocado-based foods such as guacamole are also a product of value addition of avocados and they are gaining in popularity especially due to the taste and the health benefits.
Guacamole is a Mexican dip which is made from ripe avocados.
The culinary applications of the avocado fruit also include Avocado flour, which can be made from seeds of the fruit, and the flour is gluten-free, providing an alternative which seems to be gaining popularity again among the health-conscious consumers.
The flour is growing in popularity as it is being used in milkshakes, smoothies, mixed into baked goods among other uses.
The flour/powder of avocadoes is being sold for an average price of around US$20-US$25 for a 200g satchet, indicating how much of a high value product it is.
Cosmetics and Personal Care
The nourishing properties of avocado also make it a very common ingredient when it comes to personal care and cosmetics products.
Avocado hair treatments as well as avocado creams are well sought after because of their ability rejuvenate the hair, skin as well as to moisturize.
Individually quick-frozen (IQF) avocado
Individually quick-frozen (IQF) avocadoes are dices, slices, and/or halves of ripe avocados which are frozen, rapidly.
This ‘value addition’ process creates a frozen avocado product that can be defrosted at a later stage.
IQF avocadoes are later on used usually in the same way as one would fresh avocadoes or can also be used in processed foods, as an ingredient, albeit less often.
According to COLEAD, IQF avocados are particularly important and used in the food services sector, such as hotels, restaurants as they can also be used, once defrosted, as a fresh ingredient in salads, burgers, guacamole, or smoothies, or in many other dishes.
The target market for IQF avocado pieces is usually retail chain stores in developed economies as well as the tourism and hospitality industry, focusing on the gaps in the market when avocadoes will be out of season and less available globally.
In terms of the market potential, considering that IQF avocado would be used to replace fresh avocado, the best predictor would be markets with the highest demand for fresh avocado.
According to Trademap, the USA was the largest importing market of fresh avocadoes in 2023 and has been dominant as the largest market for at least the last two decades.
In the same year, USA imported almost three times more avocados than the Netherlands, which was the 2nd largest importer by value.
The Netherlands re-export the bulk of these imports. According to COLEAD, approximately 97 percent of imports by the Netherlands in 2022 were re-exported across the EU.
Value addition offers numerous benefits to avocado farmers.
It allows them to diversify their income sources, reduce post-harvest losses, and increase their profitability.
Moreover, it creates job opportunities in processing, contributing to Zimbabwe’s provincial and economic development.
With the growing global demand for avocado and its products, value addition could be the key to unlocking the full potential of this ‘green gold’.
