New Zealand’s avocado sellers set their sights on India’s premium food market

Just as New Zealand’s avocado season set in in September, the pear-shaped exotic fruit is ready to make its way to Indian high-end retail shelves and restaurant dishes and, hopefully, to Indian dinner tables as well.

Avanza Ltd, which represents three companies that collectively market 85 per cent of New Zealand’s avocado exports, has entered the Indian market.

The company has appointed Mumbai-based Anusaya Fresh India Pvt. Ltd as its distributor, which will sell the fruits to high-end retail chains, five-star hotels and restaurants.

Avanza has also roped in celebrity chef Kunal Kapoor as its brand ambassador, as it plans to engage with various stakeholders in the supply chain to popularise their premium Haas variety of avocados.

Tony Ponder, Director, Avanza Ltd told BusinessLine, “We export to 14 countries and are pursuing a global strategy and also stepping up our presence in the Asian region. Markets like India are key future markets for us. We will be following a strategy for the next five years to develop the avocado market here.”

Ponder said more and more Indian consumers, chefs and suppliers were getting exposed to avocados and that the market presented an opportunity that fit perfectly with the company’s strategy to offer avocados as a health food option. Factors such as proximity to India as well as the growth of the Indian economy and the affluence and aspiration of middle class are key opportunities, he added.

“Avocados are healthy, good for babies, have strong links with good fat that is good for the heart, are known for their role in managing obesity problems, and this nutritional message will be the cornerstone of our positioning as we go forward in developing India as a market,” Ponder added.

In the next five years, Avanza will focus on growing demand, educating Indian consumers, distributors, chefs and retail chains about these nutritional benefits as well as how to handle their Haas variety of avocados, and will be supplying these in India from September to February.

“By the time our premium New Zealand avocados come to India, they will be just six-seven days old and will be very fresh. This gives us and our distributor a lot of confidence,” he added.

Increasing its presence in Asia is also Avanza’s strategy to reduce New Zealand’s avocado growers’ reliance on Australia, which is their largest export market.

In the first year, the company has modest expectations and will be packaging avocados in 5.5-kg single trays with 20 pieces. Ponder said the company was committed to offering safe and good quality Haas variety and uses systems that provided full traceability of the product from orchard to the market.

COMMENT NOW