This year's California avocado harvest is “shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent years,” with a projected harvest of 375 million pounds — the largest crop since 2020, says the Irvine-based California Avocado Commission.
Growing conditions have been favorable, including “beneficial rainfall, leading to “healthy soil and strong fruit set for this year's crop,” said Terry Splane, the commission's vice president of marketing.
Investments by California avocado growers who have increased planting of new trees and improved the average per-acre yield have been notable contributing factors to the robust crop size, Splane said.
Danny Cavaletto, ranch manager for Michael J Cavaletto Ranches in Nipomo, Calif., said the season started with some “odd” weather last September; then came unusually warm weather leading to some burnout in the orchard and some burnt fruit and dead seed, followed by less rain than usual — but the season is still looking good.
Cavaletto Ranches has seven ranches and expects to generate 9 million to 10 million pounds from all of them this year, a little higher than usual.
The California avocado industry had harvested 8% of its total crop, Peter Shore, vice president of product management at Calavo Growers, Santa Paula, Calif., said the second week of March.
Rain has had an impact on harvesting recently, but Shore said he's happy to have it, “as it is much-needed and will help size up the fruit.”
For Corona, Calif.-based avocado shipper and marketer Index Fresh, the 2025 California season kicked off in mid-January, “notably earlier than usual,” said John Dmytriw, vice president of business development.
“This early start was characterized by the availability of high-quality fruit skewed to large sizes as growers took advantage of strong pricing to size-pick their orchards,” he said.
And notwithstanding the early start, he said that strong volumes will be available throughout the season, following the spring rains.
Peak availability for California avocados is expected from spring through summer, and the California Avocado Commission estimates promotable volume will be at least 10 million pounds per week from April through Labor Day weekend, with some weeks “reaching significantly higher volumes.”
Because of the favorable weather, Splane said, some growers have been encouraged to start harvesting earlier than usual.
Mission Produce in Oxnard, Calif., is pleased with the season so far.
“Supply and demand are in sync, quality is looking good and the current size curve suggests a lot of opportunities for small and medium fruit,” said Galen Johnson, senior director of sales.
Size and variety
Some growers are size-picking now to support key retail partners seeking to meet customers' requests for locally grown California avocados, according to the California Avocado Commission.
“This flexibility is due to the fact that different California avocado growing regions begin and end their harvesting based on the maturity of their fruit and market conditions,” Splane said. “With this earlier availability, regional customers will have the opportunity to start carrying fruit in the early season and still continue through summer.”
That's certainly the case for Cavaletto, who said he size-picks throughout the year. Packers most like the size 48 fruit, which is 7.5 to 8 ounces, he said, and so far this year, he's on par for sizing.
Calavo has been peaking its sizes at 48, “with a good mix of small sizes and not too many jumbos,” said Shore.
For Index Fresh, 50% to 55% of the conventional and organic size curves will be dedicated to 48 and 60 sizes. Larger sizes, Dmytriw said, will most likely be less than 10% of the total supply.
The majority of California's avocado production is hass (95% of the crop estimate), but other varieties like lamb hass (3%) and Gem (2%) are gaining traction among retailers with volume growing year over year.
The industry will see more Gems in coming years “as trees mature and produce higher volumes,” said Shore. But that's not all; there will also be more hass as a lot of growers have transitioned from citrus crops to avocados, he said.
For the U.S. in general, sales of Gem avocados from any state are booming. According to market research company Circana, Gem avocado sales increased 161% for the 52 weeks ending Feb. 23, 2025, while for the same period, dollar sales of hass avocados were up 19%.
New Seasons Market, Portland, Ore., primarily offers hass avocados in its 22 stores, “as they are the most popular variety due to their creamy texture and rich flavor,” said Chris Harris, category director for produce. “We do carry other varieties, such as bacon and reed, during specific seasonal windows, and Gem avocados have become increasingly popular. But hass consistently remains the bestseller due to our customers' preferences, availability and, of course, its versatility.”
Index Fresh carries three varieties — hass, Gem and lamb hass — and Dmytriw said Gem popularity “grows every year.” Index Fresh “will capitalize on this growth by launching a new Gem line in March with a fresh marketing campaign and innovative packaging,” he said.
Hass, said Cavaletto, “has good flavor and the ability to be shipped, which has been an issue because thin-skinned avocados will bruise and it's a nasty little ball of bruised fruit when the consumer gets it.” That said, Cavaletto Ranches does produce some lamb hass, which are larger than hass. Lamb hass mature later than hass and are easy to peel.
Cavaletto Ranches' avocados are all conventional because there's not a huge demand for organic avocados, Cavaletto said.
“Avocados don't require much spraying, so it's not like a row crop where it's getting sprayed 20 times a year,” he said. “We're maybe doing one or two sprays a year if we have a pest. If we did go organic, after paying for the organic fertilizer, we'd be at about the same spot.”
Organic avocados are more of a focus for Mission Produce. Organics continue to rise “as an important, and profitable, sector of the avocado category,” said Johnson. In fact, “organic avocados in the U.S. are outpacing the growth of conventional avocados – and even organic produce overall,” he added.
There is an uptick in demand for organic avocados at New Seasons Market, “driven by increasing awareness for health and environmental issues,” Harris said. “Based on conversations we're having across our customer and supplier base, deciding factors include pesticide use, a desire for more natural produce and overall lifestyle shifts toward organic foods.”
According to Circana, organic avocado prices have increased by 21% over the past year, and consumer demand for them has decreased, leading to lower sales volumes, despite growth patterns seen previously.
Data from Numerator Insights for the 12 months ending May 31, 2024, shows that organic avocado shoppers spend 89% more on avocados a year than conventional avocado shoppers. “So, marketing to this target demographic is an important strategy at retail,” Johnson said.
The California Avocado Commission says organic avocados account for about 10% of total California avocado production.
“Although conventional avocados remain the dominant choice, organic options usually command a premium price due to higher production costs and growing consumer interest in organic products,” Splane said. “The demand is being driven by health-conscious consumers who prioritize sustainability, local sourcing and eating organically.”
Meeting customer demand
California avocados are most commonly available on the West Coast, though the commission is expanding its marketing program because of the larger harvest this year. It will include customers in additional markets who value the California avocado difference, “which includes the fruit being locally grown, sustainably farmed and ethically sourced,” Splane said.
Shoppers are interested in knowing where their produce comes from, he said; the majority of shoppers surveyed said if they saw “California” on a bag of avocados they would be more likely to buy it.
Mission Produce delivers most of its avocados to the West Coast, and almost half stay within California. Just a quarter of supply makes it to the South, Midwest and Northeast, and small amounts also go to Asia and Canada.
In addition to origin, convenience is important to shoppers. Smaller-sized avocados are increasingly popular, particularly in bagged formats, which “align well with consumer demand for convenience and value,” Splane said. This shift benefits retailers, as bagged avocados significantly enhance market basket value, by an average of 107%, according to the California Avocado Commission.
“Packaged avocados can appeal to our convenience-focused customers, as well as those who want to limit over-handling,” said Harris of New Seasons Market. But he adds that bulk avocados still tend to sell better “as they allow customers to pick and choose the ripeness levels that fit their immediate needs.”
It's typically the large and jumbo fruit that's sold loose and smaller sizes are bagged, said Shore, adding that offering multiple displays and alternate sizes versus bulk bags helps drive sales. “Bag sales do not take away from bulk sales; consumers prefer one or the other,” he said.
Mission Produce offers California avocados in bulk and bags, including minis — organic and conventional. It also offers jumbos and its Category 2 (beautifully blemished) avocados, sold in bags and bulk as Emeralds in the Rough. These are especially popular for foodservice, Johnson said. This year, the company is bringing back its limited-edition bags of Gems.
According to the Hass Avocado Board category data reports, since 2022 the market share of bagged avocados has seen a 3-point increase, now representing one-third of all avocado unit sales. This is particularly driven by club and warehouse operators, who fuel both unit and dollar growth in the bagged avocado segment.
Index Fresh says it is investing in the growing popularity of bagged avocados. Not only has it increased its production capacity, which expands its bagging and repacking capabilities, but it's also invested in equipment to improve efficiency and quality in bagged avocado production.
And this spring, the company says it is launching its Gem line with a fresh campaign and innovative packaging.
Cavaletto Ranches sells its avocados to two packinghouses — Mission Produce and Del Ray Avocados. It sells them in bulk, 950-pound bins and supply can range from eight bins a day to 50.
Challenges continue
This year has not been the most difficult, but challenges remain for California avocado growers. Weather, water availability and quality, and rising input costs continue to lead to struggles.
The cost and availability of labor, the cost of water and the cost of fertilizer are the biggest challenges for Cavaletto Ranches, said Cavaletto, along with constant changes to regulations.
Finding workers has been difficult since the Obama administration, but Cavaletto participates in the H-2A program, which allows the company to bring workers in from abroad on a contractual basis, which Cavaletto uses occasionally.
The avocado market is currently experiencing significant challenges, “with Mexican supply falling short of meeting regular weekly U.S. demand,” said Index Fresh's Dmytriw. However, he added, “Index Fresh's strong California grower base uniquely positions our company to supplement the low inventories and support promotions. While California's harvest won't entirely replace Mexican volume, it will supplement the market, reducing dependency on Mexican imports as the source.”
Getting the word out
New Seasons Market displays California avocados with signage that educates customers about where they come from and their limited growing season. Depending on the store, they are offered alongside other avocado varieties so customers can choose the best options for themselves, Harris said.
The stores can create their own marketing materials, but the chain also works closely with organizations like the California Avocado Commission “to further enrich our messaging and highlight the characteristics of California-grown produce,” he said.
The commission primarily focuses its marketing efforts on promoting California avocados as a whole. As a result, the commission may support variety-specific promotions with key retail partners who merchandise specialty varieties when they are in season. The commission's 2025 advertising campaign emphasizes the “California Difference” — locally grown, sustainably farmed, and ethically sourced avocados.
And its mix of media channels, including digital and streaming TV, “allow for tightly targeted efforts to ensure the commission reaches the audience that we want to see and hear key messages,” Splane said.
Because California avocados have such a limited growing season, “it's important to promote them alongside seasonal offerings,” said Harris, adding that it works because “just about everyone who shops our stores for avocados loves the varieties from California, particularly those who are dedicated to freshness, sustainability and variety, as well as domestic, seasonal sourcing.
“While our customers often come in with their own thoughts about how to serve avocados,” Harris added, “we find that chatting with them often sparks new ideas, like pairing them with citrus, microgreens or California's own famed olive oils.”