Cherries consistently dominate volumes of summerfruit exports, the latest data confirms.
Summerfruit NZ statistics for the year to March 17 reveal that 3779 tonnes of cherries were exported, with Taiwan, our biggest market, taking about a third of that at 1735t.
Data shows that the cherry industry has grown in importance as an export earner.
In 2018-19, 2682t were exported but it wasn’t until 2021-22 that the 3000 tonne mark was breached, with 3219t sold overseas.
Taiwan has consistently been New Zealand’s largest market for cherries, taking 1089t in 2018-19 and 1404t in 2021-22.
For the season just finished, China was our next largest cherry customer, buying 698t, followed by Vietnam at 513t, Thailand 212t and Hong Kong 93t.
Central Otago, with its cold winters and hot, dry summers and low humidity, produces about 80% of the NZ cherry crop
In a recent newsletter to growers, Summerfruit NZ chief executive Kate Hellstrom noted summer had been kind to growers with the quality of fruit high and volumes up in most regions except Hawke’s Bay, which was still recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle.
Labour shortages that blighted previous harvests were not an issue, though she noted that having the harvest fall during university holidays was a bonus.
Challenges remain.
“Growers grow because they are passionate and proud of the healthy food that they produce,” she said.
“However, their businesses must make a profit. While there have been murmurs about the high price of summerfruit this season, grower costs continue to increase, and it is only the final 20% of the crop that provides the average grower with any profit.”
Apricots are NZ’s second largest export summerfruit crop, but volumes are falling.
Exports in the 2018-19 season were 317t, with 277t going to Australia and 37t to the United States.
In 2023-24 apricot export volumes fell to 43t with 26t going to the US and 15t to Australia.
Peaches were our next most import summerfruit export crop last season at 31t, of which 25t went to Singapore followed by plums at 10t, of which 9t went to the US.
