Despite the drought, fires and now COVID-19 playing havoc, the forecast for the upcoming avocado harvest in NSW is sitting at 1.6 million trays, up from 1.1 million last year.

"The drought was a major concern; however rain events commencing in January has allowed the fruit to fill to a reasonable size, smaller fruit size though will have an impact on yield," Alison said.

"Over the past few years, many hectares of avocados have been planted across the region which are now coming into production, couple that with existing production and the harvest could exceed previous years."

Harvest season for the Tolsons is from June through to October, but they are also in the process of developing a 40-hectare avocado property in Comboyne.

Growth in their own production and demand for contract avocado packing also led to the formation of Avorama, an off-site packing shed on the outskirts of Stuarts Point, in which fruit is packed for growers from Nimbin in the north to Mangrove Mountain in the south.

"COVID-19 has been challenging for everyone, fresh fruit and vegetables were available through supermarkets; however, growers discovered the importance of the food service industry," Alison said.

"With the closure of cafes and restaurants, concern surrounded what would happen to produce usually sold to them.

"Fortunately, many people seized the opportunity to create new business ventures, home deliveries thrived and continue to do so."

On average Australians consume 3.5 kilograms of avocado per person every year, and more than 75 per cent of the avocados consumed in Australia are grown domestically. With the upcoming harvest, the industry is in a strong position to continue supply well into the future.

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