NZ apple growers can look forward to a brighter year ahead

That’s the view of Apples and PearsNZ chief executive Terry Meikle who says they are expecting higher volumes of fruit, with the quality of the fruit an improvement on last year which was a terrible season.

Meikle told Hort News while spring conditions in Hawkes Bay and Gisborne have been wet, coming into the season it’s going to be manageable for growers. He says this is assuming that the weather in February and March will be ‘kind’.

“We are forecasting this season’s crop to be up by between 7-8% on last year’s poor season,” he says. Despite some problems in the North Island, Meikle says in other apple growing areas – Nelson, Central Otago and Canterbury – growing conditions have been good.

He believes one thing that is working in favour of the sector is that there will be more people available for the harvest and post-harvest. He says the backpackers have come in for the summerfruit season and they will be around for the apple season, which is really positive.

Meikle says there will also be more RSE workers available which again will improve things.

“Having more workers is for us a big part of the solution. Last year, we are so short of labour that there were different picking patterns, and a lot faster picking was taking place and decisions were made on what to and not to pick,” he explains.

“Whereas, this year – if we get what we think will be pretty close to a decent labour force – then I think we do stand a better chance of getting a better pick and improved quality.”

But Apples and Pears NZ are taking nothing for granted and are using the time before the harvest to train staff and ensure they are up to speed for the harvest and post-harvest.

Meikle says his team has been holding special seminars in the apple growing regions on such subjects as pests and disease and apple washing best practice so ensure that the quality of the fruit picked is high.“Growers are realistic and are forging ahead, and assuming that the weather holds nicely in February and March they will be better off than they were this time last year.”

Moods In The Markets

While last year, much was made of the FTA with the EU and the promise of tariff free entry for apples.

But, over the years, the sector has looked at markets closer to home such as China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Meikle told Hort News it’s great to have the EU FTA as it is to have any deal that frees up markets.

“Is it going to mean that we will switch back to the EU today, tomorrow, next year?” Meikle asks. “I doubt that. But in time, who knows what might happen politically around the world and it is fantastic to have those FTAs in place.”

He adds that in terms of markets, the NZ sector’s focus over the past decade has moved from the dominant European variety of apples to those that meet the demands of Asian consumers.

It’s looking, in collaboration with government, to get into markets – such as India that imposes a 50% tariff on apples. They are also dealing with issues in Japan and Pakistan that, if resolved, these could become good markets for NZ apples.

Like other groups in the primary sector, Meikle says Apples and Pears is investing heavily in research and development to preserve their market position.

For example, they are 50/50 partners with MPI on $14 million project looking at range of issues around sustainability. This includes working out ways to implement a spray free vision, a life cycle assessment and developing new orchard systems.

Climate change is also high on their R&D agenda and Meikle says the recent horrific floods in the upper North Island are clear evidence of the need to have more resilient systems.

“I am also hearing from some researchers in the South Island that with climate change, the Canterbury region may become a region where more apples are grown,” he told Hort News.

Meikle says he’d like to see banks get involved and offer growers low interest rates for projects that will drive efficiencies and innovation in the sector.

apple growers is one of resilience. Meikle adds that there are still challenges getting product to market, but the situation is better than it was with freight costs coming down, although not to pre Covid levels.