It’s a scenario that would confuse and frustrate any Australian consumers - thousands of avocados being dumped amid the highest food price inflation in years.
But farmers have defended the measure, saying it’s a necessary evil to prevent them going into the red.
Big supermarket chains are importing Avocado’s at cheaper prices. We should never import what we grow and have in quantity. The local growers can’t compete with cheap lesser quality products. Especially when overseas governments subsidise their framers. Please do not buy overseas fruit or vegetables.
As cost-of-living pressures mount amid high inflation and low wage growth, the major supermarkets are selling single avocados for between $1.60 and $1.80.
So why just not lower the price to drive up demand? Because it still wouldn’t be worth it for farmers
“The cost of putting that stuff in a package, including the labour and the cost of packaging and the cost of transport is just not worthwhile,” he said.
“So the option is just to dump it.
“It’s not only cheaper (to throw it away), you just can’t afford to put the labour into packing.
“It doesn’t pay to put the money into packing the fruit or to pay someone the freight costs to send it down to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.”