Late apricot harvest under way

Apricot harvesting in Marlborough kicked off - the latest harvest Marlborough Fruit Growers Association president Murray Neal has ever seen.

But despite the unseasonably bad weather, damage to the fruit in Marlborough has been minimal and volumes look to be average.

"The rain caused a little bit of splitting but the fruit quality is good overall," Mr Neal said.

However, as with most other harvests in the region, good weather during over the next few weeks was critical.

Any more rain would cause the fruit to become less sound as the cells filled with water, leaving it too soft.

This made it more susceptible to damage when harvesting and packing, or on the tree where the sun could leave fruit sun burned.

- NZPA