New Zealand-based kiwifruit grower-exporter Turners & Growers (T&G) has harvested its first commercial crop of ENZAGold, with the new orchards expected to contribute to a rise in production of the variety to over 400,000 trays by 2012.
In a statement, the company said that the first crop was produced on 1.75ha in the Waihou orchard in Te Puke in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty region, adding that it was expected to yield 60 bins of fruit this season.
Turners & Growers said it has already converted 20ha of its own Hayward vines to ENZAGold production, while its allied growers have converted a further 13ha to the new kiwifruit in the Bay of Plenty.
Company chief executive Jeff Wesley said that by 2011 total ENZAGold production across New Zealand was forcast to exceed 100,000 trays; a total which is expected to rise to 400,000 trays by 2012.
Mr Wesley said Turners & Growers believed the international market potential for ENZAGold could reach as much as 15m trays per annum.
Following a recent visit to the Bay with Turners & Growers chairman Tony Gibbs to look at ENZAGold orchards, Mr Wesley said that ENZAGold looked to be growing extremely well in the region.
“We are impressed with the progress of newly planted orchards and the quality and size of the ENZAGold fruit,” he said.
Turners & Growers described ENZAGold as “a prolific fruiter”, which was quite different to the Zespri Gold variety, with a “refreshing sweet/acid balance”.
The company said shape of the fruit was slightly ovate, almost without any beak, which it said “significantly lessened its susceptibility to puncture damage” during the harvest and packing process.
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