Bumper season for raspberries

Papakaio berry growers Peter and Chris Keen have experienced the best season for raspberries - but the worst for strawberries.

Yesterday, Mr Keen said the raspberry season was going to be over very quickly, with some of the later varieties ripening very early.

Rain had come at the right time to boost crops.

The Keens usually struggled to get raspberries for Christmas but this year that was not a problem.

The public could pick their own raspberries at the berry farm over the next few days, Mr Keen said.

It was a different story for strawberries and it was one of the very rare seasons when they did not have strawberries for Christmas dinner.

Late frosts in October-November burned off flowers and there had been a lot of misshapen berries.

Another lot of strawberries were flowering now so it was hoped to have some "good ones" next month, Mr Keen said.

His parents started growing berry fruit at the property in 1950 and he and his wife took over in 1982.

Since retiring as a school principal in 2003, he has had more time to devote to the berry farm.

The couple grew a lot less fruit than they used to as they now only sold at their roadside stall.

That was for both lifestyle and financial reasons, as supermarkets set unrealistic prices, he said.

"To make money, you've got to . . . grow it and sell it yourself," he said.