Although the skin of Hass avocado is purple-black making it look like its rotten, Hass has turned out to be the most popular one amongst the avocado family. The Hass avocado is known for to its rich taste, long shelf-life, better yield and long harvesting. In terms of health benefits, Hass is quite similar to the other avocado varieties except for its higher fat content.
Whether it’s a good or bad season, people around the world can’t get enough of Hass avocados. Tanzania has seen a sharp increase in exports of the popular Hass avocado in recent years to the European market.
Hass Avocado Export Price
Hass avocado market share is the largest of all the avocado exports from Tanzania. Prices of Tanzania Hass avocados in the export market have been climbing year after year. This has also pushed up prices in the local market.
The government of Tanzania says in 2020 the price of a ton of Hass avocados was TZS1.8 million (US778 dollars) which is a rise from to TZS1.2 million (US589 dollars) in 2015. A single Hass avocado was sold at about TZS240 in 2015 and shot up to TZS360 in 2020.
Hass Avocado Price per kg
The Hass avocado price per kg from Tanzania was TZS1800 (US0.8 dollars) in 2020. Avocado exporters in Tanzania usually pack in 4kg cartons. In 2020, the price was 10 Euros (TZS 26,373) per 4kg carton in the European markets.
In 2021, there was an oversupply of Hass avocados in the export market. This led to low prices of Tanzania avocados. The price of a 4kg carton was about 9 Euros (TZS24,793) and about 2 Euros (TZS6,329) per kg.
Why are Hass Avocados so Expensive?
Here are some reasons why Hass avocado prices in Tanzania have gone up in recent years:
- Just like any other seasonal fruit, prices of Hass avocados shift depending on the season. The main harvest seasons for avocados in Tanzania are from January to March and May to August. Hass avocado costs rise during the months when the harvest is less plentiful.
- Hass avocados are alternate bearing crops and that means they produce a large number of avocados one year and fewer the next year. This is because avocado trees store nutrients for future years while producing fruits at the same time. If one year yields a large crop like in 2019, fewer nutrients are available for the following year’s crop like in 2020.
- The uneven relationship of supply and demand are pushing Hass avocado trade prices up. The Hass avocado prices in 2018 were extremely low due to an oversupplied export market but these prices recovered in 2019. Peaks and lows will continue.
- Although export volumes of Hass avocados from Tanzania are gradually increasing, Hass avocado farming in Tanzania is still being done by a small number of farmers. Yet Hass is the most demanded variety in the export market.
- Adverse weather conditions such as heavy rainfall and drought impact the production of Hass avocados in Tanzania. This then affects Hass avocado prices.
Benefits of Hass Avocado
Here are some of the advantages of Hass avocado over other varieties:
- The Hass variety controls 75% of the global avocado market.
- Hass avocado has the longest shelf life among all the varieties. It can stay fresh up to 2-3 weeks in room temperature and 4-6 weeks when refrigerated.
- Hass avocado has the highest oil content at 18%.
- The Hass variety is in high demand by consumers due to its versatility. It can be used in salad dressings, smoothies and in making avocado oil which is good for cooking, the skin and hair.