Avocados are one of the fruits we enjoy as a staple. Many people enjoy it as part of their breakfast, and it’s also making its way as a component in salads and other dishes. Now, you may notice, especially when you often buy avocados, that they are pretty expensive. So, you may ask:
Why are avocados so expensive? First, avocados are so expensive because they need a lot of water to grow, and they only thrive in specific areas. Another thing is that avocados can spoil if improperly shipped. Also, it takes a while to mature, and even the fruits they bear are inconsistent each year.
In general, avocados are still accessible despite the high price. However, as a consumer on a budget, you may want to know if you’re getting a good value for your money, especially when buying avocados.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the top three reasons why avocados are so expensive. You can understand its value and determine whether you’re getting a good value for money according to your preferences and needs.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
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Are avocados expensive?
Yes, avocados are expensive because the price has drastically increased over the last few years. For instance, there’s about a 40% increase in its price only within the last year. Thus, you can say that avocados are more expensive than in previous years.
Why are avocados so expensive?
Below are the top three reasons why avocados are so expensive. Here, you can understand why avocados can get so expensive and see if it’s worth your money.
Avocados need a lot of water.
The first thing that makes avocados expensive is that it needs a lot of water to grow. For instance, a tree needs roughly 80 liters of water to produce around a kilo of avocados.
In short, an avocado tree that bears hundreds of kilos of fruit needs thousands of liters of water. Thus, they can only grow and bear fruit in areas where rain and water are abundant.
This is the reason why avocado trees are adequate protection against flooding. But, at the same time, it’s responsible for so many droughts happening in the nearby areas where they grow.
Avocados grow in specific areas only.
As mentioned earlier, avocado trees don’t grow anywhere. Thus, due to the limited area where avocados can grow, they are exported to most countries and regions.
Most avocado farmers will consider the shipping risk for avocados to go bad. Thus, most shipping or transportation of avocados require early harvest when the fruits are still unripe.
If the avocados are only shipped when they are ripe, they will spoil or go bad along the way.
Another thing is that the unripe avocados for transportation need protection against the sun. With all these resources and essentials, the price of avocados can go up, especially the imported ones.
Avocados take long to bear fruit.
Avocado trees take a long time to bear fruit. In general, most avocado trees that start from seeds can take around 5-13 years to mature. Only after maturity will the trees start bearing flowers and producing fruits.
In short, farmers invest a long time to grow and care for avocado trees until they bear fruit. As a result, they add a high price to compensate for the initial investment made by the farmers.
Besides the long time to grow and mature, some matured avocados are random when they bear fruit. It means that the fruits these trees bear are not consistent every year.
For instance, a tree may produce a large crop for one year but have a small crop for the following year. Such an inconsistency determines the supply of avocados. Hence, a small crop means lower supply and higher price.
How much do avocados cost?
Generally, avocados can cost around $1 to $1.5 per piece. Now, the price depends on the area where you’re getting your avocado and the type of avocado available.
You can save more when buying avocados in bulk, but you will not spend too much on avocados since they are not that expensive, given the fact that a whole avocado can make two to three servings already.
Are avocados worth the money?
Yes, avocados are worth the money. Despite the high price, avocados are packed with nutrients and offer several health benefits for their consumers. For this reason, it’s an excellent and healthy food for everyone, even for those who follow specific types of diet.
While avocados are expensive, it’s not so expensive to the point that they will break your wallet. With its nutrients and health benefits, avocado is genuinely a food worth the money.
Why are avocados so popular?
Avocados are so popular because of their growing trend as a healthy staple and as part of cuisines. Many people enjoy avocados as part of their breakfast. Also, it’s enjoyed as an ingredient or component in several dishes and cuisines.
For this reason, the value of avocados is high and it adds up to the price of this fruit. Besides the taste, avocados are packed with nutrients, offering several health benefits to their consumers.
Are avocados actually expensive?
Avocados are not actually expensive. Compared with other fruits, the prices don’t differ that much. Further, you don’t have to spend a lot to enjoy avocados, and this food is accessible to all.
If we compare the current price of avocado with the previous years, you’ll see that the price has increased a lot.
While the price increase may have something to do with inflation, a significant portion of such is the growing demand for avocados due to popularity.
In short, avocadoes aren’t that expensive, but their price increased over the last few years.
Summary
In a nutshell, avocados cost so much because they need water to grow, and they thrive only in certain areas. Another problem is that avocados can spoil if not handled correctly during shipping. Moreover, they take a long time to mature, and their fruits are inconsistent from year to year.
Despite the high price of avocados, they are still generally accessible. However, as a budget-conscious consumer, you may want to know if you’re getting good value, especially when buying avocados.
Also Read:
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- Why Are Cherries So Expensive?
- Why Are Vanilla Beans So Expensive?
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