Summer heat a real boon for kiwifruit
We are having better yields this year with our green and all of that gold kiwifruit that has been planted ...
Dave Courtney
Ideal growing conditions for New Zealand kiwifruit growers could result in a bumper crop once the harvest begins in April.
While different growers will have different experiences, the hot summer weather should see large volumes of both green and gold kiwifruit this year, Zespri chief grower and alliances officer Dave Courtney said.
‘‘By and large what we are hearing is good growing conditions.
‘‘The reports we are getting is that the crops look really good this year, they are growing well and there are good numbers of fruit out there as well.’’
The total volumes could be more than the record-breaking crop of 2016, although Courtney said this year’s crop had a greater number of maturing vines that produced more fruit than two years ago.
‘‘We are going to be closer to the 2016 numbers than the 2017 numbers. We are having better yields this year with our green and all of that gold kiwifruit that has been planted, more and more of it comes into production every year.’’
He said they would have a clearer idea of how this year’s crop was shaping up in about a month. It was too early to say when harvesting would begin this year, although it traditionally started in mid-April.
‘‘There’s still time to go and room for the climate and weather to intervene.’’
He also backed the findings of a new report from ANZ that outlined investment opportunities within the industry.
The ‘ANZ Kiwifruit Insights’ paper showed strong global demand, coupled with Zespri’s ambition to grow global sales to $4.5 billion by 2025, had driven demand for kiwifruit orchards which were selling at record prices.
‘‘That positive outlook is no different to what we have been talking to the industry about in the past couple of years,’’ Courtney said.
ANZ managing director for commercial and agri Mark Hiddleston said the sector had achieved remarkable success.
‘‘It has continued to invest in new varieties while staying connected to consumer demand and has worked hard to keep international markets alive.
‘‘The industry is a great example of how working together, sharing information and continuously looking to improve, can benefit the entire sector. The co-operative mind-set is a big part of the success we see today.’’
Hiddleston said the challenge for the sector will be sustainable growth over a number of years.
‘‘Sustainable growth will require ongoing market development, delivering to customer demand on a consistent basis, and building the infrastructure required for higher production,’’ he said.
‘‘That steady growth is what we need to achieve to meet the aspirational goals that the industry has set.’’