Bostock is top of the crops

New Zealand’s largest organic apple grower is harvesting some of the best quality fruit it has produced for years, thanks to near perfect growing and harvesting conditions.

Bostock New Zealand director David Brasell says the weather has been outstanding for the harvest, so the fruit has sized well.

“The quality of our apples this season is very, very good. The colour is great, the fruit is clean and the size is excellent.

“It’s been a dry season in Hawke’s Bay so we’ve had a good run. Hot Autumn days and recent colder nights has helped colour the apples well.”

The Royal Gala harvest has now finished in New Zealand. Braeburn is currently being harvested and in the next few weeks Fuji and Granny Smiths will be coming off the trees.

“The packhouse is at full-speed packing for our main markets across Asia, Europe and the US. We are excited about this years crop hitting the shelves as I think our consumers will be impressed by the taste,” said Brasell.

“Our Hawke’s Bay apples are sweet, tasty and the brix levels are high which is great for the palate.”

Bostock New Zealand recently opened a new, state-of-the-art coolstore, which is currently at full capacity. The new facility has the technology and innovation to provide customers with full traceability from the Hawke’s Bay orchards to consumers across the world, the grower said.

“The apple industry is growing to meet international demand and every day we are working to ensure we have cutting-edge technology to deliver premium apples to our customers,” said Brasell.

The new coolstore has an advanced scanning system, which ensures each bin is identified and each apple can be traced back to the orchard where it was grown.

“The New Zealand apple industry is establishing very strong relationships with the Asian market. It’s a market that has a clear focus on fruit quality. Our organic apples are in high demand because we grow them naturally, they are GMO Free and we don’t use pesticides. Demand from our traditional markets in Europe and the US is very strong and we will not be able to satisfy global sales requirements for organic apples.”

Bostock New Zealand will be harvesting the last of its apple varieties at the end of May and exporting its apples through to July.