Henry says supplies unaffected by freeze
Henry says supplies unaffected by freeze
The late-August arrival of the first charter shipment of Chilean avocados assured Henry Avocado customers that their late summer and fall promotions around the country would not be affected by the widely reported mid-July freeze in Chile.
On hand to inspect the first charter arrival Aug. 30 at the port of Los Angeles, Phil Henry of Henry Avocado Corp. said that while the volume of the Chilean imports would be lower than last year due to the freeze, he expected adequate, promotable volume similar to the 2005 season.
"The worst is over," Mr. Henry said. "The shortfall impacted the supply for August and early September. Now we'll meet whatever our customer needs may be."
Chilean growers anticipate that 170-180 million pounds will have been shipped between now and February. In addition, supplies from Mexico will be available, and in the winter California will start.
"Mexico will be a very important part of our supply from September through June, especially for our Texas customers," Mr. Henry added. "In fact, the majority of the avocados distributed by our Texas office will be from Mexico."
Mr. Henry emphasized that the uniformity and quality of the domestic and imported avocados have made the annual transition from one source to the other virtually seamless for the company's retailers, foodservice operators and consumers. He said that the industry's desire for year-round availability has been realized for the past few seasons and is now solidified in the minds of buyers.
Anticipating the increase in demand for its custom-ripened avocados, Henry opened two new ripening rooms this summer, giving the Escondido, CA- based grower, packer and importer a total of 43 forced-air rooms.
It also increased its distribution capability in 2007 by adding ripening and transportation personnel in its San Diego and San Jose offices.
As a pioneer in the avocado-ripening process, Henry Avocado continues to promote custom ripeness to its buyers, and expects over 80 percent of orders to specify one of the five degrees of ripeness it offers. The company publishes a ripening guide that describes the five options, which range from hard to fully ripe.
Ideal for buyers at the retail or foodservice levels, the guide describes the five stages of ripening so that avocados can be purchased on an "as-needed" basis.
"By using agreed-upon terms for the levels of ripeness, our customers get maximum accuracy in their orders," Mr. Henry said. Using the foodservice sector as an example, he added, "Now confident that a stable price and supply exists throughout each season, foodservice has created year-round dishes and salads that feature fresh avocado."
On hand to inspect the first charter arrival Aug. 30 at the port of Los Angeles, Phil Henry of Henry Avocado Corp. said that while the volume of the Chilean imports would be lower than last year due to the freeze, he expected adequate, promotable volume similar to the 2005 season.
"The worst is over," Mr. Henry said. "The shortfall impacted the supply for August and early September. Now we'll meet whatever our customer needs may be."
Chilean growers anticipate that 170-180 million pounds will have been shipped between now and February. In addition, supplies from Mexico will be available, and in the winter California will start.
"Mexico will be a very important part of our supply from September through June, especially for our Texas customers," Mr. Henry added. "In fact, the majority of the avocados distributed by our Texas office will be from Mexico."
Mr. Henry emphasized that the uniformity and quality of the domestic and imported avocados have made the annual transition from one source to the other virtually seamless for the company's retailers, foodservice operators and consumers. He said that the industry's desire for year-round availability has been realized for the past few seasons and is now solidified in the minds of buyers.
Anticipating the increase in demand for its custom-ripened avocados, Henry opened two new ripening rooms this summer, giving the Escondido, CA- based grower, packer and importer a total of 43 forced-air rooms.
It also increased its distribution capability in 2007 by adding ripening and transportation personnel in its San Diego and San Jose offices.
As a pioneer in the avocado-ripening process, Henry Avocado continues to promote custom ripeness to its buyers, and expects over 80 percent of orders to specify one of the five degrees of ripeness it offers. The company publishes a ripening guide that describes the five options, which range from hard to fully ripe.
Ideal for buyers at the retail or foodservice levels, the guide describes the five stages of ripening so that avocados can be purchased on an "as-needed" basis.
"By using agreed-upon terms for the levels of ripeness, our customers get maximum accuracy in their orders," Mr. Henry said. Using the foodservice sector as an example, he added, "Now confident that a stable price and supply exists throughout each season, foodservice has created year-round dishes and salads that feature fresh avocado."
