Fruit outlook good

The apple and pear industry is forecasting a modest increase in the gross crop for 2019. A forecast gross crop of 604,500 metric tonnes is 2.5 per cent up on 2018 production. New Zealand Apples & Pears chief executive Alan Pollard said growing conditions across the country this season have been very good. “Adequate rainfall means that all regions have good quantities of irrigation water, and sunlight and warmth are at some of the best levels that we have seen.” Pollard said that the result of the good growing season could be seen in fruit quality. Royal gala remains Hawke’s Bay’s strongest export variety, accounting for 30 per cent of total exports.