OXNARD, CA - Due to above-average rainfall, the start of this year's California avocado season is slightly later than previous years, according to Brooke Becker, Vice President of Sales at Mission Produce™. She says that California began to harvest limited volumes at the end of February, but growers are still waiting to fully ramp up until the fruit sizes up.

“The California Avocado Commission projects the 2024 California season to total 208 million pounds, a slight decline from the 2023 season. However, a higher percentage of Grade 2 fruit is expected, which Mission Produce brands as Emeralds in the Rough,” Brooke tells me. “This mixed-size, value-pack bag of beautifully blemished avocados aims to combat food waste by finding a home for less-than-perfect fruit, appealing to the 95 percent of consumers that feel it's important to do their part to reduce food waste, according to Upcycledfood.org.”

Brooke goes on to note that Mission’s consumer-driven merchandising options are designed to optimize available supply for customer programs by appealing to a wide range of consumers.

“This year, Mission Produce launched new packaging for its limited-edition California GEM avocados,” she continues. “GEMs are a high-value, limited-edition variety available while supplies last in the summer months. Gems are typically larger in size, easy to peel, and feature a nutty and buttery flavor. Mission Produce is offering GEM avocados in bags of 40s or 48s and mixed bags of 36s–60s. When surveyed, shoppers found ‘California-grown’ and ‘creamy and buttery’ to be the most appealing selling points of the GEM avocado, an AvoIntel Survey from December 2023 found.”

During the season, California fruit is expected to be the highest shelf-life option, due to its lower dry matter content compared to other origins. Brooke explains that as a domestic product, customers benefit from prompt transit times and enhanced delivery flexibility with California avocados throughout the United States, especially on the West Coast.

“We plan to use California fruit to fill customer programs across the U.S., Canada, China, Korea, and Japan this year. We are connected to more than a thousand avocado growers throughout the state to supply our customers with California fruit all season long. Consumers and customers alike cherish California avocados as the only locally grown Hass avocados available in the U.S.,” Brooke elaborates.

As a company, Mission Produce has been connected to California avocados for 40 years—it’s where the company started. So, California is always a special addition to its diverse portfolio of avocado origins, as Brooke notes.

“Our grower relations and field teams have been hands-on to support our growers throughout the rainy season, offering agronomy support on farming practices, tree health and nutrition, and harvest coordination,” Brooke concludes. “We are looking forward to a healthy, high-quality crop!”

Looking to fill your shelves with California avocados? Mission Produce just might be the partner for you.