The Giumarra Companies, which is headquartered in Los Angeles and operates from facilities in many different production areas, expanded its avocado facilities in Escondido, CA, this year to accommodate more ripening rooms and more bagging capacity.

The California Avocado Commission is extending its consumer advertising campaign, “The best avocados have California in them,” with new creative designs that playfully illustrate the California lifestyle, connecting the fruit with the locale. Pre-season media launched in winter with a series of video ads released on the commission’s YouTube channel to build anticipation for the season. In-season media launched in March and continues through summer to support the peak availability of this season’s California avocado crop.

California avocado growers are steaming toward an excellent season with strong demand for their fruit as a number of factors have worked in their favor so far this season.

At least that’s the view of Rob Wedin, executive vice president of sales for Calavo Growers Inc., based in Santa Paula, CA. From his perch, which he has been occupying since 1973, he sees the avocado f.o.b. price remaining in a very solid position through the length of the California season.

Westfalia Fruit USA has the benefit of local supply in California and co-ownership of the third largest packhouse in Mexico, giving it a good supply situation for the upcoming months.

All indicators point to a very strong marketing year for the length of the California avocado season, which often means rising f.o.b. prices and the need for creativity to offer value propositions for the consumer.

The designation of March as Women’s History Month perfectly aligns with the start of this year’s California avocado season, which presented the concept to interview the three women that currently sit on the California Avocado Commission.