Young avocado trees are in hot demand among Bay of Plenty growers as they look to capitalise on growing consumer interest worldwide.

Photo: file.

Nurseries are reporting they've sold out of rootstock for the 2015-16 season with orders now being gathered for 2016 and 2017.

The resurgence in plantings and orchard development comes as confidence in the New Zealand avocado industry reaches a new high, with global demand for the healthy fruit outstripping supply. World demand for avocados is growing at about 10 per cent every year but global production is rising by just three per cent annually.

New Zealand's avocado industry is positioning itself to play a bigger role in global supply with new investment in research and development aiming to make local orchards more productive every season.

At the same time, export supply groups such as AVOCO and its AVANZA partner are working hard to develop new and existing markets in Australia, the US and Asia.

AVOCO director John Carroll says growers have been aware for some time of the untapped potential of various Asian markets in particular and this, combined with healthy economic returns at home, has created an 'avocado renaissance”.

'Many people will remember avocado orchards being established in the Bay of Plenty in the 1980s. Those orchards are still thriving but instead of looking for just capital gain, growers are now planting for the financial returns being generated.

'Investment in our industry is rife again and a lot of this has come about due to the AVOCO partnership. Our growers know that we'll deliver for them and that gives them security for the future.”