Will the 'Great Avo Depression' hit SA?

The world is obsessed with avocados. Over 3 million posts featuring them appear on Instagram every day, Miley Cyrus has a tattoo of one and even the new Duchess of Sussex is a fan. On her now-defunct lifestyle blog, Meghan Markle wrote she "lives by the ethos that most things can be cured with either yoga, the beach or a few avocados".

Avocados have become so popular that, according to Vogue, they're known as "green gold" in Mexico — which produces just shy of half the globe's supply — because they yield more profit than any other crop, including dagga.

Our insatiable appetite for avos, coupled with other factors beyond farmers' control, has lead to a major shortage of these superfoods in some parts of the world.

Avocados can be fickle crop and production volume is greatly affected by factors such as water supply, seasons and pests.

Food Network states that America's so-called "Great Avocado Shortage of 2016" was the result of droughts causing low harvests, and a strike by Mexican avocado farmers seeking higher pay.

This year, Kenya — the world's sixth largest avo producer —  banned the export of crops in an attempt to alleviate severe local shortages, reports The Independant.

Australia is experiencing its second year of shortages, in what is being dubbed the “Great Avocado Depression”. As a result, prices have skyrocketed and news.com.au reports that Aussies can expect to pay the equivalent of anything from R38 to over R76 for a single avo.

But local avo addicts don't need to stress - you probably won't have to learn to live without your favourite toast topping any time soon. In fact, Fuerte avocados are in season and there's a plentiful supply.

"The South African avocado industry is thriving," confirms Derek Donkin, CEO of the South African Subtropical Growers' Association. "We currently produce around 130 000 tons of avocados a year, with expansion of the current commercial orchards planned."