Fewer apples to hit shelves despite best harvest in years

Smaller fruit sizes are likely due to the lingering impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle and spring weather conditions. Photo / RNZ, Susan Murray

RNZ

This season’s apple harvest has wrapped up earlier than expected and the crop is smaller which means the fruit could soon be in a shorter supply.

New Zealand Apples and Pears said the exportable crop was 11 per cent lower than previously estimated.

Only 18.9 million tray carton equivalents (TCE) will be heading offshore - down from an estimated 21.2 million - due to varying fruit sizes across growing regions.

Smaller fruit sizes can be attributed to the lingering impacts of last year’s Cyclone Gabrielle and spring weather conditions.

While the fruit was smaller than expected, it has been one of the best harvests in several years, Apples and Pears chief executive Karen Morrish said.

“The fruit flavour profile and storability are among the best the industry has seen in years thanks to exceptional summer conditions.

“Long hot days, dry conditions and cooler nights have produced apples with delicious eating quality and good colour across most varieties.

“New Zealand apples are already proving popular in export markets.”

Morrish said packing has finished earlier than expected at many packhouses, so fruit could soon be in a shorter supply.

Hawke’s Bay Fruit Growers Association president Brydon Nisbet said growers were now eagerly waiting to see what returns they would fetch overseas.

“The harvest is completely over now so a lot of growers are getting on with pruning.

“It was a good harvest as far as weather goes and probably the best we’ve had in a few years.

“The crop was a little smaller than normal but the quality was good so now we just need some good returns in the markets overseas.

“The world economy isn’t exactly pumping at the moment, China is a big market for us and they’ve slowed down a little bit, so we really need the price point to be up.”

Nisbet said New Zealand growers produced premium quality apples and need to be rewarded for that.

He said the cost of growing was impacted by “increased labour costs, compliance and shipping costs, so the price we get needs to continue to be higher than normal just so that the growers can make some money”.

- RNZ