Queensland avocado producer Cherry Creek Estate currently grows more than 300 hectares worth of avocados. in the year 2000, following a lengthy R&D process, they have started to produce avocado oil.
“Our peak harvest time is between May and the end of November here in Queensland and exporting our products to all the main Asian markets, with a view to increase exports in the months ahead as we search for partnerships with the same goal. The partners who want to sell premium quality fruits as our second harvest is used for oil as part of the model of business,” says Angelo Leonardi, director and the founder of Cherry Creek Estate.
“The local market is currently in excess and will remain in the future as often happens in the fresh produce sector in Australia favorable growing market conditions, and high profit margins are likely to create investment surplus. This is an opportunity to focus on innovation as well as our product quality to always achieve top result. Innovating to stay ahead of the curve, we intend to establish ourselves as the leaders within our particular niche’s categories. Innovating with our retailers to create new products helps us reduce the risk to the larger group and build strong bonds with our key stakeholders. innovative products that are made from renewable resources using a sustainable method is what customers are seeking out on their shelves.”
Angelo plans to increase the size of the orchards, and also develop the first acres with a particular variety of trees which will be exclusively used to produce avocado oil. Even though their own production is only seasonal, Australia has year-round supply as will Cherry Creek’s value-added supply chain. It is a revolutionary development in the manufacturing, where the products are able to get shelves and keep stock.
“Our oil is cold-pressed by centrifuge, and it only uses mesocarps from the fruit. Our yields differ from between regions while we are learning about the different national crop oils’ nuances. Our nutrients’ quality and density when paired with the results of a sensory board are a step above the most delicate oils available in the market for premium oils. Our goal is to provide an exceptional variety of edible oils which need to achieve smoke points that are high. Through a cold-pressed process can both sensory and the versatility possible during the process of processing Avocado oil. A good avocado oil of virgin quality should have a mushy-grassy flavor very similar to that of the avocado itself, and also have a green hue within the oil’s body.”
Producing avocado oil was a possibility in Australia just following the turn of the century. However, due to the lack of production capacity to sustain a commercial scale operation, it’s been more than 20 years to allow Australia to expand the required orchards in order to provide the supply throughout the year.
“At the moment, we’re the sole manufacturer at this the scale, but with two other in the pipeline, we will not be the sole one to enter this category. Due to a shortage worldwide of edible oil, and the ability of the oil to take inferior fruits from the market, it’s a great protection not just for us but for all important growing regions of Australia.
In 2024, we plan at a growth rate of 500k/L annually. We’ve achieved better than anticipated penetration into local supply chains. The access to markets within Australia can be extremely
It is difficult to make local-made products competitive due to the limited competition marketplace in the retail sector. Small markets like ours create another obstacle that could result in an ROI being difficult to achieve as starting slow in a tiny market with restricted access poses a significant chance for any processing. We support the slow but steady growth of our local market, however our primary focus is on export of our top oils. Export is a possibility due to an unmet market need which creates opportunities as consumers are mature in their awareness of healthy lifestyles, which naturally gives Avocado oil a competitive edge.
“We have developed an energy source from biomass that permits the production cost to remain competitive, and also use the fruits that might not have been able to reach market. The fruit that is cheaper efficient to send to the oil facility rather than to increase supply through the addition of lower-quality fruits to markets. Our goal is to demonstrate that our method of using premium grade fruits only. We will also support our retailers by launching initiatives that create an image based with sustainable practices. Most crucially, we guarantee the best high-quality products, as it’s economically more feasible to run our business with this approach instead of the conventional method of throwing away all the fruit that is available all at once.”
The Cherry Creek Estate plans to push the limits of modernity with its range of Avocado oil-infused oils that are expected to be available in early 2024. They will challenge the imagination of chefs by providing an oil that can keeping its flexibility even in high temperatures while blending rich flavors simultaneously’. The future is exciting for the Australian Avocado’s
More information is available here:
Angelo Leonardi
info@cherrycreek.estate
Source: The Plantations International Agroforestry Group of Companies