A year ago, California avocado growers were anticipating an El Niño condition that would bring heavy rainfall that could last several months and, they hoped, put a dent in the drought that had plagued the state for at least two years.
But El Niño bypassed Southern California, and this year not much has changed.
Although the northern part of the state received a significant amount of rain over the winter, and the state’s snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains was vastly improved compared to the previous year, the major avocado-growing regions were pretty much left high and dry.
“The drought is officially still on,” said Dana Thomas, president of Index Fresh Inc., Riverside, Calif. “The cutbacks that were put into place the last couple of years have not been lifted.”
Areas served by aqueducts in the north are in better shape this year than they were in 2015, at least in theory, he said. But areas in the south that depend on local water sources are not in any better shape.
“It’s an issue, and growers are still dealing with it, not only with reduced supply but with higher costs, even in areas with state water,” he said. “Nobody has opened up the tap and said ‘use all you want.’”
Lack of water is a problem for California avocado growers in terms of cost and for the health of the trees, said Gary Caloroso, marketing director for Giumarra Agricom International, Escondido, Calif.
“That could affect next year’s bloom,” he said. “We still need more rain.”
Rainfall in the northern part of California may have recharged some of the aquifers, said Robb Bertels, vice president of sales and marketing for Mission Produce Inc., Oxnard, Calif., but it did not have much impact on most avocado-producing areas.
“We’re not much better off than we were last year,” he said.
Henry Avocado Corp. in Escondido experienced below-average rainfall again this season, said president Phil Henry.
“We’ve been stumping some trees,” he said, “and we’ve cut back.”
While lack of rain can affect a tree’s ability to produce fruit and hold it late into the summer, it does not impact fruit quality, he said.
Next year does not look promising, either.
Henry said he has heard reports of an impending El Niño condition in California, which could mean even less rain than usual this winter.
Areas that depend on the Metropolitan Water District, which provides water for 19 million residents in its 5,200-square-mile service area, have access to water, “but the costs keep going up,” said Rob Wedin, vice president of sales and marketing for Calavo Growers Inc., Santa Paula, Calif.
Some areas that depend on Southern California well water had “pretty severe shortages,” he said.
But some aquifers have been performing well for groves in the Santa Paula area, he added.
“What has been missing is those drenching rains that make the trees more productive.”
