New Zealand top-fruit output is forecast to be match 2011’s crop but will be up to two weeks late and features the smallest Braeburn crop for a generation.
The total apple and pear crop is estimated to be 300,000 tonnes (16.6 million cartons), very similar to last year’s exports of 302,000 tonnes.
Peter Beaven, chief executive of producers’ association Pipfruit NZ said: “This year’s crop is somewhat unusual in being consistent with 2011. In the previous five years we have seen significant production swings from year to year because apple trees tend to be naturally biennial bearing and also because of frosts during flowering.”
Royal Gala, remains the largest variety in volume and is likely to pack out to 5.7 million cartons for export, while previous mainstay, Braeburn, has shrunk by 24 per cent to 3.3 million cartons, the lowest production for 20 years. These two varieties will make up 55 per cent of expected volume. Jazz is forecast to reach 2m cartons for the first time and should account for some 12 per cent of volume. The Fuji harvest is estimated at 1.7m cartons, the Pacific series at 1.1m and Pink Lady at 830,000.
Beaven said: “The predicted low crop for Braeburn is a response from growers who have struggled for years to obtain sustainable returns from Europe. Tree removals and growing for process instead of export have resulted in the Braeburn crop, a signature NZ variety, shrinking from a high of 8 million cartons exported only six years ago.”
The harvest will be later as a late winter cold spell delayed flowering by up to two weeks and therefore the main Royal Gala harvest will not start until late in Feburary.
Beaven told freshinfo: “There is quite a lot of concern that the volumes that are sent to the European markets are appropriate and also surrounding exchange rates. However, stock levels in Europe compared to the is time last year are lower so there is a little more optimism among growers now that before the start of the new year.”
Conditions so far in 2012 have been ideal with warm days and enough cool mornings to get good colour development. Adequate rainfall has kept moisture levels in soil up and all helped fruit size.
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