Bostock New Zealand’s move to “plant up big” looks set to pay healthy dividends. The Hawke’s Bay-based company has spent the winter months replacing old apple varieties on its orchards with new cultivars, including Premier Star, TCL3 and Kingsbeer Red.
“We will be getting the first samples of these new crops this coming season, so we are excited to meet the international consumer demand with bright red, sweet, juicy apples,” said John Bostock, owner of Bostock New Zealand.
Bostock said these higher colour, sweet tasting offerings were geared towards consumers in Asian markets.
The company planted around 4,000 trees a day during winter, with the new production starting to take off thanks to a recent spell of warm weather and few frosts across Hawke’s Bay.
Bostock said the conditions were budding well for a high quality apple crop in 2017, with trees beginning to reach full bloom.
“Warm, dry conditions are ideal when trees are in bloom - we have had some really hot days in Hawke’s Bay, with temperatures reaching the mid 20s and indications show it’s a strong bud,” Bostock explained.
“When the sun is shining, bees are out doing their bit to pollinate the blossoming orchards – then it’s up to our team to do everything possible to see a high quality crop through to export.”
Bostock is New Zealand’s largest organic apple producer, with the company seeing plenty of demand for the category.
“Organic apples are seeing consistent growth in export markets and we are actively focused on keeping the quality of the fruit high,” Bostock said.
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