GEORGE NEWS - South African avocado farmers left the Rooi Deur Store off the R101 with a clear perspective last Thursday, 12 March: 2026 will test both their marketing muscle and soil-management skills.
At the South African Avocado Growers' Association's (Saaga) study group, two presentations showed that local avocado supply is increasing and global competition is getting tougher, while practical, science-based advice was also giving to help farmers protect their orchards.
Local market under pressure
The Southern Cape's growers reviewed the numbers that matter most. KwaZulu-Natal's planted area now sits at roughly 4 500ha compared with the Southern Cape's 1 500ha, and new KZN orchards are coming into full production.
Significant hail damage means large volumes of class 2 and 3 fruit are likely to enter the domestic market, pushing supply higher and prices lower, especially during the overlap of KZN (June-December) and Southern Cape (August-January) harvests.
Historical data reinforced the trend: when volumes peaked in March 2025 at 3 700t, prices dropped to R50/carton. When supply eased in November-December, prices climbed towards R110-R120.
Louis Droomer (farmer, Geelhoutboom), Pieter le Roux (farmer, Sionsberg) and Franus Winterbach (farmer, Wolwedraai).
Export outlook: Europe leads, rivals closing in
Europe is still the main market, but competition is growing. Peru forecasts a 20% production increase, while Chile plans to ship more late-season fruit.
Russia is emerging as an alternative destination, though India and China remain limited by tariffs and fumigation requirements. The clear advice: growers must coordinate with exporters, tailor marketing strategies orchard by orchard, and prioritise quality and timing.
Guest speaker Prof Leon van Rensburg.
Water and salt management: The hidden yield thief
Guest speaker Prof Leon van Rensburg, founder of Van's Lab, shared some insights on water and salt management in avocado orchards. He warned that salty or poor-quality soil can slowly reduce harvests.
He shared practical ways to protect orchards, including using water efficiently, checking salt levels, and keeping soil healthy.
His Van's Lab Soil Health Scorecard gives an easy overview of soil quality and nutrients.
A Northern Cape pecan example showed that salty soil can reduce growth by up to 18%, and poor soil structure makes it harder for water to soak in.
What it means for Southern Cape growers
With the harvest still months away, the message was clear: good marketing and quality fruit bring better profits, and checking soil health early can prevent losses.
Ready for presentations on avos at Die Rooi Deur Stoor.
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