According to researchers at NZ research body HortResearch, temperatures during the southern hemisphere winter so far have been mild. Winter chilling is vital to ensure commercial yields from kiwifruit vines.

This means that last month they became concerned that bud-break on Hayward kiwifruit may be as late as early October with a low number of flowers. Levels are, they say, similar to the low volume of crop year of 1998.

The organisation has developed a computer programme to help predict bud break using historical as well as current temperature date to come up with a 'most likely' forecast.

Zespri Gold kiwifruit breaks bud earlier than Hayward and so requires warm temperatures earlier in Spring and cool weather earlier in winter, during May and June.