Egg-sized avocados are the latest weapon in the battle to meet growing demand for the creamy green fruit amid a global squeeze on supply.

The mini fruits, which weigh about 70g – nearly a third of the size of an average avocado – will be on sale at Tesco for only a few weeks.

The supermarket has bought 10,000 boxes of the undersized crop from South Africa, where farmers have been left with a higher proportion of small avocados after a hot and drier than usual summer. They will be sold six at a time in containers similar to an egg box.

“There has not been enough rain and there has been a lot more stress on the crop than normal and so it is that much smaller,” said Avnish Malde, the chief executive of specialist fruit importer Wealmoor.

“Tesco is being pretty innovative in getting those to market and utilising more of the crop.”

Malde said there had been no sign of a softening in demand for avocados, sales of which have been rising by about 30% in the UK this year.

That is despite a more than 50% surge in wholesale prices since the beginning of the year, according to data consultancy Mintec.

Poor harvests in some key producer countries, including Peru as well as South Africa, have combined with soaring demand from China to create a global shortage. Strikes by workers in Mexico, which accounts for up to 70% of global avocado production, have added to the problems.

The shortage has meant even the world’s biggest producer is considering importing what used to be a dietary staple as it has become too expensive for many ordinary Mexicans.

In the UK, sales have surged amid the Instagram-friendly trend for avocado on toast, as well as the popularity of using the fruit in smoothies and salads by those seeking a healthier diet.

The popularity of dishes such as avocado on toast has led to a surge in sales of the fruit in the UK. Photograph: Sarka Babicka/Getty Images

Earlier this year, the Morrisons supermarket chain tried to tackle rising prices by offering a “wonky” version of the fruit, with an irregular shape or blemished skin, for 39p each. This compares with an average supermarket price of just over £1 for a large, perfect fruit.

Tesco said its growers had worked hard to ensure its mini avocados were of the same quality as their larger counterparts.

The supermarket’s avocado buyer, James Cantoni, said selling the egg-sized fruit – branded as Zilla Eggs – was part of the company’s strategy to reduce food waste by finding an outlet for whole crops.

“These Zilla Eggs are a brilliant way to offer customers great tasting, high quality avocados, which previously would have been rejected by growers because of their size,” he said.



“They are perfect for customers who want to snack, without the usual fuss or worry of wasting the other half of the avocado. And it also helps producers who are able to sell even more of their avocado crop.”

Supermarkets have responded to pressure from their customers and government to tackle food waste in a variety of ways, including handing over unwanted goods to charities and working more closely with farmers to make use of all of their produce.