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

seeded varieties, an indication of fruit maturity is the production of a hollow sound when the
fruit is tapped with the fingers.
Avocado fruits on the same tree do not mature at the same time, so selective
harvesting is usually practised. This requires going over the tree several times until all the
fruits are harvested. Harvesting is accomplished manually by climbing the tree or by using a
ladder. Fruits which cannot be reached by hand are harvested with the use of a long bamboo
pole fitted at one end with a wire hook and an attached net to catch the fruits. The fruits are
then placed in sacks or in rattan or bamboo baskets lined with banana leaves, for transport to
the market.
From the national figures on area and production for the years 1990-1997, a mean
annual yield of 9.6 t/ha with 84 kg/tree was estimated. This is quite an improvement from the
figures recorded 15 years earlier, when mean yield was only 4.9 t/ha with 50 kg/tree. Though
the total area planted and the number of bearing trees recorded for both periods did not
change drastically, the yield almost doubled. This was due to the increased yield reported for
the Cagayan Valley, Central Visayas and ARMM. The reason for this could only be
surmised. This may be due to improved production practices followed by the farmers in
these regions. Otherwise, the yield in the other regions did not change much.
In terms of quality, much is to be desired. Most of the avocado fruits sold in the
market are of poor quality. This is due to poor crop management employed by the farmers
plus the fact that most of the trees grown come from seeds of unknown origin. Another
reason for the low quality of the fruits is the poor accessibility of the production areas of the
avocado. In many instances, the farm is situated in areas accessible only by trails and paths
making transport of the produce difficult and time-consuming. With proper cultivars and
improved production and transport facilities, the yield and quality of avocado are projected
to improve substantially.
7. MARKETING
In the Philippines, the marketing of avocado involves two very simple systems. In the
first system, the farmers bring their harvest to the market together with other farm produce
i.e. banana, root crops, chicken, and sell these directly to the consumers. In this way they
obtain a higher price for the avocado fruits. In the second system, a middleman, locally
called 'comprador', buys all the avocado fruits from the farmers at a lower price and sells
them in the market at a higher price. The middleman generally dictates the farm-gate price
since he bears the transportation cost. Under the present nature of small-scale and backyard
avocado production, where the volume of production is small, the farmer prefers to sell his
produce to the middleman. Avocado production is for the local market. There is no export
of avocados at present.
8. POTENTIAL FOR AVOCADO PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT
Avocado has a bright potential for development in the country and there are several
reasons for this.
44