The avocado farms account for about 6400 hectares Florida, 737 registered producers and 35 handlers and shippers. Of the total hectares, nearly all are located in Miami-Dade. The green-skinned avocados grown in Florida can easily be distinguished from the dark-skinned varieties grown in California. Most of the early season avocados in Florida is the variety of the West Indies. Mid season and late season avocado are hybrids Indians of Guatemala and the West.Most avocados produced in Florida are sold outside the state, growing an avocado is so important source of income. However, as with any agricultural enterprise, sustainability requires agricultural production remains profitable.
fruit yields per hectare vary between farms in the state, based on cultivation methods and crop varieties. The state also is used taking in alternate years, which means a higher yield than a year and lower yields in the next.
The integration of higher yielding varieties and seed rate adjustment has been made to fluctuations in agricultural production. These practices were adopted after the devastation of crops widely held by Hurricane Andrew.
A major concern among avocado growers in Florida is the largest foreign competition, most recently in Peru in January 2011. Each time the trade is opened, the local avocado farmers experience a drop in net profits.
Free trade agreements have caused prices to fall avocado, which means that more farmers are forced to subsidize their operations avocado farm income.
Avocado farmers choose to leave the business sometimes tempted to switch to a more profitable alternative, such as real estate development. Unfortunately, these days the industry has fallen on hard times as well.
Good news for avocado growers in Florida is that the fruit grown in the Sunshine State has fewer calories per unit than the main variety sold in the United States. An advertising campaign throughout the industry touting the health benefits of Florida avocados harvest may help keep the wolves at bay.
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