Hugh Findlay, owner of Cherry Gold Orchard, with daughter Sarah Hay. They had a good start to the season, but rain has put a dent in their harvest. Photo / Warren Buckland
Hugh Findlay, owner of Cherry Gold Orchard, with daughter Sarah Hay. They had a good start to the season, but rain has put a dent in their harvest. Photo / Warren Buckland
Those who want to snag some cherries for Christmas are being told to get in quickly as the Hawke’s Bay cherry harvest is hit by a very wet summer.
Hugh Findlay, co-owner of Cherry Gold Orchard along with his wife Linda, said he expected to lose half this harvest tothe weather.
“It has been a trying season. Rain is just something that ripening cherries can’t cope with.”
He said it was still a slight improvement on the previous year’s crop, which they lost 75 per cent of to rain, and the year before that had also been difficult due to rain.
“The last two years in particular have been just diabolical, really,” Findlay said.
“We have other crops that we grow, so they balance it out I suppose, but if we were relying on cherries it would be dismal.”
He said he believes the availability of cherries will be quite limited towards the end of the week in Hawke’s Bay.
“My advice to people would be to get what they can get now because it looks as though it is going to rain tonight, tomorrow and the next day, and it is going to pretty much split everything that was going to be available for Christmas.
Findlay said he advised people who wanted cherries to get what they could as soon as possible because upcoming weather meant it was likely there would not be many available for Christmas. Photo / Warren Buckland
Findlay’s daughter Sarah Hay said the season had begun quite well and they had employed locals instead of contractors, who had done well despite the rain.
“Our season is already short, only a few weeks, but this weather may make it even shorter than that - only time will tell,” she said.
“At this stage, we are taking things day-by-day and praying that the rain will clear off! Our Facebook and Instagram pages will be updated regularly for those looking to drop into the shop.”
Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers Association president Brydon Nisbet said rain and cold weather had affected fruit growers in early spring, and ongoing rain throughout the harvest had reduced the volume produced even more.
“Some of the cherry orchards on the south side of Hastings got hit pretty hard with that hail back in September as well. You had pictures of hail nets collapsing and all sorts of stuff,” Nisbet said.
He said people will probably still be able to find quality cherries for Christmas, but they may have to pay a premium with a shortage across the country.
“It is all supply and demand, but there are still places in Hawke’s Bay you can buy cherries.”
