Avocado

Avocados have become one of the most popular produce items in grocery stores worldwide. But the law of supply and demand has been quite harsh on the island nation of New Zealand.

Recently there’s been a severe shortage of the superfood, and it has led to skyrocketing prices. It also has apparently led to a crime wave of poachers stealing avocados before they hit the market.

Prices have ballooned to as high as $4.20 ($6 New Zealand) for just a single avocado across the country, and apparently there are some folks desperate to get their hands on the food.

According to reports, there have been as many as 30 to 40 incidents of poaching, where folks will sneak in to fields under the cover of night and swipe the fruit before it ever has the chance to hit the market.

Those thefts, along with the shortage, have only hurt already high prices for the fruit.

“We have reports of people driving utes [pickup trucks] into orchards and filling up the entire back tray, growers are finding blankets and duvets in their orchards with piles of avocados in them – thieves have picked and been interrupted.”

“There is certainly a large-scale theft going on and the large numbers of it going on,” said NZ Avocado Market Manager Bevan Jelley.

Popularity has never been higher for the fruit either, as reports indicate sales have increased 25 percent this past season (2015-16) alone.

It’s no wonder people are finding ways to load up truckloads of the fruit to likely sell on the black market for even higher prices.

So, if you’re ever in New Zealand, be on the lookout from those avocado bandits…they’re a sneaky bunch.

[CNBC]

About Andrew Coppens

Andy is a contributor to The Comeback as well as Publisher of Big Ten site talking10. He also is a member of the FWAA and has been covering college sports since 2011. Andy is an avid soccer fan and runs the Celtic FC site The Celtic Bhoys. If he's not writing about sports, you can find him enjoying them in front of the TV with a good beer!