New Zealand cherry exports volumes closed out at over 3,400 tonnes for the 2015/16 season, a 21 per cent increase on the previous season’s total of 2,711 tonnes, according to figures released by Summerfruit NZ.
The 2014/15 figures eclipsed the previous historical high of 1,660 tonnes set in 2010/11. Gary Bennetts, chairman of Summerfruit NZ and a grower in the key Central Otago production region, said the record run was a combination of a number of factors.
“Firstly, there has been an increase in planting, which will continue to grow, and secondly the more favourable weather conditions experienced during those harvest periods,” Bennetts explained.
From a sales perspective, the fall of Chinese New Year (8 February) aligned perfectly for New Zealand growers in 2016 and with the celebration taking place even earlier in 2017 (28 January) the industry looks well positioned to continue building momentum in Asia.
Taiwan remains New Zealand’s largest export market, absorbing over 1,000 tonnes for the second straight season in 2015/16, while the prospects for shipping to mainland China also look encouraging.
“Prior to the 2009/10 season, volumes shipped to China were insignificant and not even recorded,” said Marie Dawkins, chief executive of Summerfruit NZ. “However in the last four seasons the volumes have increased rapidly. Anecdotal feedback from exporters is that prices in China held well and did not appear to have been affected by the much discussed economic downturn in China.”
The Vietnamese market has also shown strong signs of growth, contributing 7.7 per cent of overall sales in 2015/16, while trade into South Korea is set to be bolstered a free trade agreement between the two nations, which saw the immediate elimination of a 25 per cent tariff late last year.
