The World Apple Report has named New Zealand’s apple industry as the world’s most competitive performer.
Pipfruit New Zealand chief executive Alan Pollard said it was a great achievement to be recognised from a field of over 33 major apple producing countries, with the industry now well on track to realising its goal of becoming a NZ$1bn industry by 2022.
“We know New Zealand is the best country in the world to grow apples,” Pollard said.“We’ve had a fantastic harvest. The size and quality of fruit is outstanding and we have produced another record earning export crop.”
The international ranking takes into account three areas of comparative performance; production efficiency, industry infrastructure and inputs, and financial and market factors.New Zealand was in the top five for all categories. Overall, it finished immediately ahead of Chile and the United States, with the North American nation slipping from second to third place.
“Our provinces are prospering from the apple success, we are growing hundreds of full time jobs across the sector in all areas including production, post harvest, logistics, marketing and exports,” Pollard explained.“It’s certainly a great time to be an apple growing region.”
The World Apple Report said New Zealand was focusing on developing and growing new, or exclusive apple varieties that earned a substantial price premium in many international markets.
The report added that because its total export volumes are small relative to total world supplies, New Zealand shipments do not burden any single market.
