The stone fruit season is in full swing at the moment as apricots are well through the season as are nectarines and peaches.
After that the apples will begin to be picked and nationwide it is shaping up to be a promising season.
Horticulture New Zealand released a statement this week which said the apple industry expected fruit of good quality and size as it headed into the 2023 apple export harvest season.
"At the same time, we are estimating export volumes to be similar to last year’s, at an estimated 20.4 million TCEs [tray carton equivalents]," New Zealand Apples & Pears Inc (NZAPI) chief executive Terry Meikle said.
"We are seeing a reduction in the volumes of European Union-bound traditional varieties such as Braeburn — which is expected to be down by 15% — as well as Pink Lady and Jazz. Some near market varieties like Fuji, New Zealand Queen and New Zealand Rose are also going to be down in volume.
"However — and this bodes well for the industry’s future — we are seeing continued growth in trademarked varieties such as Rockit, Envy and Dazzle."
Mr Meikle said the industry was focused on quality and a positive, world-leading future.
Remarkables Orchard Ltd owner Sid Birtles said the apples at his Roxburgh East orchard were looking in good shape.
If anything the weather was too hot and was putting the fruit under real stress.
"They are growing like crazy with the heat and so we are putting water on them to make them slow down. We wouldn’t mind if they sent some of that rain up north down here for a bit. But they are a good size so that is what we want," he said.
The apples he grew went all over the world and he sold different varieties such as Granny Smith and Red Delicious, he said. Labour had been an issue but he had scraped through the season so far.
He said one worry was many Pacific Island countries were limiting the numbers of men they were letting go to work in New Zealand orchards as they were needed to work at home. Australian growers were also taking labour from the Pacific Islands.
Ettrick Gardens owner John Preddy said everything was shaping up well for the apple season.
They had a massive thinning job to get the apples to a decent size and to get them ready to come off trees.
"The apples are looking good and they are still growing. There is a little bit of growing to be done yet," he said.
Picking apples started at the end of this month in Central Otago and he had enough labour to get the job done. All his apples were sold locally at the Otago Farmers Market and he said his fruit was as popular as ever.
The apple season starts late this month and then goes through to the middle of May.
