SA Avocado Farmers Stand to Lose Millions As They Grapple With Theft of the Popular Fruit

• The continuous stealing of avocados is a growing concern for South African farmers who stand to lose millions
• The theft of the delicious fruit can be attributed to the rising demand for avocados over the last few years
• Farmers say there are simple tell-tale signs you can look out for to determine if the avocado you are buying has been stolen

LIMPOPO - South African avocado farmers are battling the scourge of theft of one of the country's most popular fruit.

Avocados have been gaining popularity in the last few years and the rise in demand for the delicious fruit has led to people ripping off hardworking farmers.

According to IOL, avocado farmers can lose up to R24 million annually due to continued theft of their produce.

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Richardt Bouwer, general farm manager for Richbok, an avocado farm in Witvlag, Limpopo, says the avocados started gaining considerable popularity when the pandemic first hit in 2020, according to BusinessInsider.

Bouwer explains that the illegal trade for avocados and fruits, in general, has become quite the headache for farmers and the theft of these goods started booming during the first lockdown.

According to Bouwer, avocado theft usually peaks during the picking season while farmers are trying to inspect the quality of the fruits that have been harvested.

How to identify stolen avocados?

One of the main signs that the avocado you are purchasing has been stolen is black spots on the skin of the fruit, says Bouwer. He adds that farmers usually spray their avocados to ensure that the skin is smooth and without black spots.

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Bouwer says if the avocado has black spots, then it was most likely stolen before the farmer had a chance to spray it.

"Farmers spray their fruit to get the best quality out of their fruits," says Bouwer.

Bouwer says most fruits are stolen before they maturation and by doing that stolen avocado will most likely rot before it ripens. Lastly, buying cheap avocados is also a sign that the product you are purchasing has been stolen because as Bouwer explains it, "Avos are not cheap."

Young woman starts sustainable farming business, inspires Mzansi

Briefly News previously reported that a local entrepreneur has dazzled Mzansi with her up-and-coming seed business. The inspiring businesswoman has created packaging for her products from recycled paper which makes the seedlings totally eco-friendly.

Heading online, a local business page, @KasiEconomy, shared her story.

"Meet @lerat0_ founder of @LinaleliC a company that retails SEED paper products, once planted the paper grows into flowers,herbs or veggies. The paper is RECYCLED and embedded with seeds. "The paper is great for, business card, flyer, bookmark etc," they captioned the post.

Source: Briefly News