Avocado Production in Asia and the Pacific - United Nations in ...

8. POTENTIAL FOR AVOCADO PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT
China has a great potential for avocado production development. It is estimated that
China will have a population of 1.6 billion by the year 2030. It has called the attention of the
Chinese government to securing food for the increasing population. Avocado fruit is very
nutritious and can be eaten fresh. Avocado products will have a large market when accepted
by the Chinese people.
There is a stretch of hilly land suited for avocado planting in the south of China. The
tropical and subtropical land covers some 48 million ha in China, distributed in Guangdong,
Guangxi, Hainan, Fujian, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan; the land under tropical and
subtropical economic crops covers only 6.385 million ha at present. There is also a vast tract
of hilly land in the southwest of China, a large part of which is suited to developing tropical
and subtropical economic crops such as avocado.
China has good varieties available for the development of avocado production.
Research work carried out has resulted in the selection of over 80 avocado varieties; also,
appropriate production techniques, including propagation, transplanting, manuring and
fertilizer application, control of pests and diseases, harvesting, storage and shipment, have
been determined. This can ensure availability of nursery plants and production technology
for the development of avocado production in China.
9. CONSTRAINTS IN AVOCADO PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT
Little awareness of avocado
Avocado is a very nutritious fruit, containing fat, protein, vitamins, minerals and
other elements. Most Chinese are not aware of the nutritional value of avocado. Avocado
fruits are consumed fresh as are other fruits at present in China. They are neither sweet nor
sour and hence less favoured compared to other tropical and subtropical fruits such as litchi,
longan, mango, etc. It is hard to popularize a cold dish, sandwich and salad made with
avocado. It will take time for the Chinese people to accept avocado, and publicity is
necessary.
Difficulty in marketing
The avocado market has yet to be developed since very few people know the
nutritional value of this fruit. In the early 1990s, avocados were shipped and marketed in big
cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou; however, only some large hotels with
foreign cooks showed interest in this fruit. Difficult marketing has given adverse impact to
the expansion of the planting area for commercial production.
Avocado has a short storage life under normal temperature. Cold storage and
shipment increase cost and farmers will not take the risk of selling their avocado far away in
small markets. The industrial demand is very limited and it is hard to stimulate expansion
although avocado facecream and soap are produced to some extent. Avocado fruits are
marketed locally at low price, discouraging farmers from planting avocado trees.
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