Avocados on Bay of Plenty harbour and off-shore islands are approved for the picking but recent wet weather is delaying their harvest.

NZ Avocado Growers Association and Avocado Industry Council chairman Ashby Whitehead says the far North and Bay of Plenty coastal orchards such as Motiti and Rangiwaea Islands are traditionally the first to reach the 24 per cent dry matter maturity standard but supplies of the fruit will remain tight until the full harvest begins in spring.

The main harvest usually lasts from September to April and currently avocados are in short supply with some fruit is selling for up to$4.99 a piece, says local market analyst at NZ Avocado Growers Association and Industry Council Bevan Jelley.

'We are between seasons and in the past couple of weeks less than 1000 tray equivalents of avocados have been packed compared with 30,000 trays in mid-season.”

Indications are that 2013 will be a good season, particularly for Bay of Plenty and far North growers with predictions of a 3.5million to 3.8million tray harvest.

Many growers in the Whangarei region will have little or no fruit this season, thought to be due to an unusually cold spring.

'I feel for those growers without a crop as I know exactly what that's like,” says Ashby, who has fruit in his Bay of Plenty orchard this season.

Ashby is urging growers to support exporters developing new markets.

'All exporters will be supplying Australia this season but I would like to think growers will be mindful of the future and the need to develop new markets particularly in Japan and Asia.”

In the 2010-2011 season the Australian market was over-supplied with New Zealand avocados and prices slumped.

Ashby says it is important to avoid a repeat of that experience and to look to the longer term as volumes continue to increase.

'The indications are that the 2014 -15 season could see volumes up around 4million trays,” says Ashby.