Kiwifruit exports to fall in 2012 after record season in 2011

Monday 19th March 2012

Zespri International, the kiwifruit marketer, said its 2012’s exports will fall back to ‘normal’ levels after a record 2011 season, as Pseudomona Syringae pv actinidiae bacteria continues to ravage orchards.

Trays for the 2012 kiwifruit season are expected to be 95 million, down from 115 million a year earlier, the company said in a statement. This is closer to the production of a normal season after 2011’s record crop.

The Te Puke-based company estimated the industry will harvest up to 20 million trays of gold kiwifruit, about 70 million trays of green kiwifruit, 3.5 million trays of organic kiwifruit and 2 million trays of the company’s newly-commercialised varieties.

“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 cut out and graft across to a more Psa tolerant variety,” said Neil Trebilco, president of New Zealand kiwifruit growers.

Zespri will produce about 1 million trays of the new Gold3 variety that was commercialised in 2010 following a 10-year development programme. The kiwifruit has shown good levels of Psa tolerance, which is now a necessary quality for any successful commercial kiwifruit variety.

A decision will be made on March 21 as to whether there will be a wide-scale release of Gold3 licenses to kiwifruit growers as the industry begins its pathway away from the Psa.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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