While Australians are heading to Japan for the cherry blossoms and powdery slopes, their avocados are making their own mark right on the plates of discerning Japanese shoppers. Now they’re not just testing the waters as In the 2023-24 fiscal year, Australia exported 1,044 tonnes of avocados to Japan, valued at AU$4.26 million, marking a sharp rise from 309 tonnes and AU$1.67 million the previous year.
This growth was driven primarily by Western Australia, as Queensland remains without market access to Japan. While Japan accounted for a small share, Australia's total avocado exports reached 17,000 tonnes worth AU$51 million in 2023, reflecting the nation’s expanding footprint in key Asian markets.
Source: Public Domain - Australian Avocados
Japan isn’t just any export market. Shoppers there don’t stockpile groceries, they buy fresh daily. Packaging is everything, and premium produce is a status symbol, especially for gifting. “Gifting is cultural which means packaging is everything,” says Karina Keisler, a Hort Innovation executive who recently toured Japan for one of the world’s largest supermarket trade shows. “Seasonality and freshness is key, there’s less focus on all-year-round availability and more interest in getting what’s hot, when it’s hot. FOMO is real.”
Source: Karina Keisler -Hort Innovation
Right now, Japanese consumers are obsessed with strawberries and tomatoes, but Aussie avocados have earned a reputation for their creamy texture and premium quality. That’s a win for Avocados Australia, which has worked hard to position them as a top-tier choice in a market flooded with Mexican competition. “Japan is the largest avocado market in Asia, and it has lots of growth potential for us,” says Avocados Australia CEO John Tyas in a recent FruitNet post. To keep momentum going, they’ve rolled out marketing campaigns, in-store promotions, and a strong digital push to build brand awareness.
So, where does New Zealand fit in? While most of NZ’s export-grade avocados currently head to Australia (about 80%, according to NZ Avocado), Japan offers an attractive alternative. Thanks to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), New Zealand avocados enter Japan tariff-free, making it a prime opportunity.
But instead of competing, should Australia and New Zealand team up? A joint marketing effort could position both countries as the premium choice for high-quality Southern Hemisphere avocados, reinforcing the idea Aussie and Kiwi avos are the best in the world. Japanese consumers value trust and consistency, something a unified campaign could deliver, ensuring a steady supply of top-tier fruit meeting Japan’s demand for freshness, presentation, and prestige.
Australia has done the hard yards breaking into Japan. Now, the question is, does it make sense for both nations to work together to lock in long-term loyalty from Japanese consumers? Because one thing’s clear, when it comes to premium produce in Japan, quality isn’t just expected, it’s everything.
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