Great-coloured fruit bodes well for New Zealand apple exports to Asia this season, reports www.radionz.co.nz.
Cooler summer weather in key apple-growing region Hawke's Bay has helped yield the best-coloured fruit in 20 years, industry body Pipfruit New Zealand said.
Colour is crucial as the industry fixes its attention on Asian markets, where appearance is everything, Pipfruit NZ services manager Gary Jones explained.
Hawke's Bay packhouses expect to process 10m cartons of export-quality apples – 61 per cent of New Zealand's total crop.
Royal Gala picking was due to end yesterday (March 19) in the region. Jazz will be harvested next in Hawke's Bay, Jones said.
Harvesting in Nelson – another key apple-growing area – is later than normal, and fruit-size smaller than average, due to the cooler summer conditions, Pipfruit NZ chairman Ian Palmer said.
Export volumes from Nelson are expected to drop as a result.
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