Stolen avocados worth hundreds of thousands of dollars are likely being sold on a roadside black market, a produce company chief executive has said.

The Far North is the worst hit for avocado thefts, with Bay of Plenty growers also the target of thieves who are looking to make the most of mature fruit, Seeka chief executive Michael Franks said.

While it was not clear how many avocados had been taken so far this season, which runs from July to February, Franks estimated thefts would eventually total "hundreds of thousands if not towards the millions".

Seeka chief executive Michael Franks said avocado thefts could cost the industry millions.

Avocado prices hit a record-high in May this year according to StatsNZ, with an average price for a 200g avocado rising to $5.06, up from $3.69 in April.

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Franks said prices surged in May due to a limited supply at the end of the growing season.

BAYLEY MOOR/STUFF Graeme Burgess lost $100,000 worth of avocados during a theft earlier this month.

"The side of the road is where I imagine it's [stolen avocados] going," Franks said.

"Our wholesale markets want to know where the fruit is from so it can only be going to roadside sales."

Kaikohe avocado farmer Graeme Burgess said "bloody mongrels" picked $100,000 worth of avocados from his orchard earlier this month.

The haas avocados are usually picked in October and November, Burgess said, so the fruit, stolen from 115 trees, would never ripen.

"That's what annoys me the most, it's a bloody waste."

Franks said people buying fruit off the side of the road were "doing themselves a disservice".

"They are not going to eat well, it's too early in the growing cycle.

"It's not a good piece of fruit."

Franks encouraged growers to consider access to orchards, and to look at installing motion detector cameras.

"People should go to the police, don't confront the people themselves," Franks said.

New Zealand Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular said they had had a number of reports of avocado theft across all avocado growing regions in NZ throughout July.

"We treat all cases of avocado theft as significant, as do NZ Police," Scoular said.

"Recent incidences have resulted in people being prosecuted and sentenced in relation to avocado theft."

Scoular said the organisation has developed a range of recommended security measure in conjunction with police, which was circulated to growers when theft activity increases.

"Offenders can potentially be charged with burglary, which has a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. If a shop owner knowingly has purchased stolen avocados, they could be charged with receiving stolen property, which carries a maximum imprisonment of seven years."