How do seasonal variations affect fruit supply and processing?
At Avondale, we not only process the fruit we grow, we also source our fruit from surrounding areas and growers. Seasonal variations can significantly impact fruit supply in some areas, making it beneficial to source fruit from multiple regions. Here are some of the ways fruit supply and processing can be impacted by the seasons.
Supply Fluctuations:
Availability of fruit is directly tied to the natural growth cycles of crops, which vary from season to season. In addition to this, peak seasons and off seasons need to be managed, and processing calendars organized accordingly. For example, our mango processing occurs during the warmer months in peak season, when there is an oversupply of fruit, and fruit costs are lower. Conversely, in the off-season, limited availability of mango leads to higher prices, hence apple, pear and other fruit processing will occur instead.
We leverage strong relationships with growers under our Brookvale Farms brand to ensure consistent sourcing, even during seasonal fluctuations.
Fruit Quality and Yield:
Processing Challenges:
There are many processing challenges that can affect the quality and output of the transformation process. Smaller size fruit from a certain season or harvest is one challenge that can reduce throughput and time efficiency of processing. Since peak seasons demand more labor, and off seasons are quieter, management of labor is a challenge and something that needs to be considered in planning of operational costs. Explore how our diverse brand portfolio is designed to meet seasonal demands and deliver quality fruit products year-round.