Zespri has announced kiwifruit export volumes will be lower than last year due to Psa disease and "seasonal factors”.
However, despite lower exports anticipated for 2012 than 2011, Zespri’s supply chain general manager, Sally Gardiner, said the final crop estimate had increased over earlier crop predictions for the 2012 season.
“2011 produced a record crop for the industry of around 115 million trays, an increase of 12 per cent on the 2010 season,” Gardiner said.
“In 2012, we expect that due to Psa and seasonal factors the crop will be around 95 million trays, which is closer to the production of a more normal season."
It is estimated this year the industry will harvest up to 20 million trays of gold kiwifruit, around 70 million trays of green kiwifruit and around 2 million trays of Zespri’s newly-commercialised varieties.
It is also set to export around 3.5 million trays of organic kiwifruit, making Zespri the largest exporter of certified organic produce from New Zealand.
“What is really exciting is seeing new variety volumes increase. The kiwifruit industry has identified one of these varieties, known as Gold3, as the potential future foundation for our gold kiwifruit category in a Psa environment,” Gardiner said.
“This year we will have up to one million trays of Gold3 and it will allow us to continue to build the profile of this fruit with our customers around the world and also increase our understanding of the fruit’s performance throughout the Zespri supply chain.”
A decision will be made by Zespri soon as to whether there will be a widescale release of Gold3 licences to kiwifruit growers this year to help the industry recover from Psa disease.
The 2012 kiwifruit harvest has begun in New Zealand. The first fruit to be picked was in the Poverty Bay region, traditionally the earliest maturing of New Zealand’s kiwifruit growing regions.
The first shipment will be of Zespri Gold due to depart for Japan in early April, and arrive on the marketplace in mid-April.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers president Neil Trebilco, said the start of the 2012 harvest brings mixed feelings in the industry as it continues to deal with the impact of Psa and looks to re-build from the disease.
Trebilco said: “It’s great to be starting picking. There is always a real anticipation after a season’s hard work in preparing the crop for harvest. But growers’ anticipation is tempered by the knowledge that some of their fellow growers will not harvest a crop, or only harvest a partial crop in 2012, because of Psa.
“For some growers this will be their first year without a crop, and for other growers they are facing the fact that once their vines have been picked they will likely have to be cut out and grafted across to a more Psa tolerant variety.
“There are a couple of tough years ahead for the industry as it builds its pathway out of Psa, but we are confident we will emerge from the current challenging times in stronger shape.”
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