Good season for apples with warms days, cool nights

Amy Lingard (left) and Chloe Dowling, of Clyde, pack export-grade organic royal gala apples at Summerfruit Orchard, near Clyde.

Otago pipfruit growers were enjoying a good season, Otago regional fruitgrowers committee chairman John Webb, of Cromwell, said.

Fruit quality was excellent and warm days and cool nights were adding colour to the apples.

The only "imponderable" about the season was the returns for the export crop, he said.

"We're not quite in the same position of our pastoral and dairy farming brothers, so things aren't quite as positive as that."

The fruit was heading to Asia and Europe, with royal gala, Cox's orange and jazz varieties being sent so far, he said.