Hail storms have damaged pipfruit and kiwifruit crops in the growing region surrounding Nelson in New Zealand’s south island, potentially limiting export programmes out of the area, according to a report from Radio New Zealand.
Growers are still assessing the full extent of the damage from the storm, which swept through the region late last week, but Simon Eastonof the Motueka Fruit Growers Association said there would likely be some impact on the volume of fruit available for sale in 2016.
“It's going to be difficult but we'll get some salvage out of it,” Easton told Radio New Zealand. “There'll be less fruit going to markets offshore out of Nelson this year, that's for sure.”
Growers in the Maririarea appear to among the worst hit, with entire crops now destined for processing.
“The hail that hit our orchard at Mariri lasted just a few minutes, but long enough to do some real damage,” Easton said.
“I don't think there is any chance of salvaging anything there. Our orchard at Lower Moutere looks like it's dodged a bullet; there may be only a hectare with slight damage - and another one of our orchards closer to Mapua has probably got 20-30 percent damage which I think we'll just thin through.”
