Organic Marlborough apples exported to Britain

Marlborough's first organic apples certified to Biogro standards have been exported to Britain.

One container, packed with 1100 cartons of organic cox's orange apples, is to be sold at British health food chain outlets, where they can fetch higher prices than in supermarkets.

Growers Kevin Bright and John Blackmore devoted three years to the work required for conversion to organic production systems.

Organic apples earned $43.11 a carton last year compared with $19.80 for "conversion" apples, which sell closer to the price of conventional fruit.