Avocado season has officially begun in California, although weather events across the state continue to affect the crop in various ways.
In San Diego and Riverside counties, where trees produced a large amount of fruit last year, fruit set has been relatively low in 2024. There have also been complications with fruit set in San Luis Obispo, thanks to relatively cool temperatures and high winds during bloom. On the other hand, recent rains across California have drastically reduced the need to irrigate or pump well water, while also providing natural nutrients that benefit not only the fruit itself, but the trees, as well. Of course, large-scale rain events can also result in erosion, threatening to displace the soil on the hills and steep slopes where most avocado trees grow.
The California Avocado Commission is encouraged by recent rainfall, however. “[Rain] gives energy to the fruit, and we lacked a little bit of rain last year, which is why the crop was down,” explains Terry Splane, CAC’s vice president of marketing. “We had kind of a cool season post-rain, and what the trees really like after the rainy season is heat.”
The 2024–2025 avocado season is predicted to produce 208 million pounds. That forecast is less than last year’s yield of 237 million pounds. Although the majority of this year’s avocado yield — approximately 95% — will be the Hass variety, other varieties have grown increasingly popular in recent years. The GEM variety, whose smaller size and thicker skin allow the fruit to survive stronger winds than other varieties, is projected to produce 5 million pounds of avocados. That’s twice as much as last year’s yield of GEM avocados. There’s also been a lot of talk about the Luna UCR avocado, whose patent is still pending but whose unique characteristics — including a skin that turns black when the fruit is ready to be eaten — has excited consumers and growers alike.
A healthy avocado season requires a healthy amount of preparation. If you’re looking for help with your growing operation, stop by one of our FGS supply centers today or contact us here to get the materials you need. We also offer everything from fertilizer, tree stakes, customized irrigation systems to state-of-the-art corrugated packaging, making us an ideal partner for all stages of the growing process.