Cool spring cuts apple production

Apple growth is thought to be down in 2015.

New Zealand's apple production looks set to drop by 6 per cent in 2015 because of a cool start to spring in Hawke's Bay and Nelson.

But a warm summer has improved the crop's quality, Pipfruit New Zealand said.

Pipfruit NZ, which promotes and represents the apple and pear industry in the domestic and export markets, said the harvest of 551,102 tonnes of fruit - mostly apples - started this week.

"The cool start to spring, in Hawke's Bay and Nelson in particular, meant the total crop is down 6 per cent on 2014 and the harvest two weeks later," Gary Jones, Pipfruit NZ's business development manager, said.

But he made the point that every growing region has had an exceptionally warm mid-summer, which meant apples had developed a well-rounded sweetness, fresh crispness and vibrant colour.

Pipfruit NZ anticipates high export demand for this year's crop with around 297,000 tonnes, which will arrive in 70 export markets within the next few weeks. Europe - which takes about 25 per cent of the export crop - has been affected by the Russian ban on the importation of some foods from the West, with apples coming on to the market.

"It's made it quite difficult in Europe because there is a large amount of European product - especially from Poland - which would normally into Russia - that has not been able to go there," Jones said. "The European market is now quite flat for commodity type varieties."

Jones said however that the New Zealand has the advantage of supplying into the main supermarket trade with certain varieties, such as Royal Gala and Braeburn.

Demand, particularly in Asia, continued to grow and total plantings increased in the last 12 months by 2 per cent to help meet that.

This year, there has also been a listeria outbreak in apples distributed by a US grower, that has resulted in safety concerns amongst many importers.

"With New Zealand commanding the most stringent food safety system in the world and traceability right down to blocks of trees within orchards, we're expecting interest in our apples to be even higher than usual," he said.

NZME.