Harvest of Posy apples is under at Mr Apple's Meeanee orchard near Napier. Photo: SUPPLIED/Mr Apple
Early-season apples are being picked, packed and shipped from the North Island's East Coast, marking the start of the busy apple export season.
One of the country's largest apple growers, Mr Apple of NZX-listed company Scales Corporation, grows fruit across its Hawke's Bay orchards that it exports to around 40 global markets.
Sales and marketing manager Ben McLeod said at the moment, it was the calm before the storm with harvest.
"It's just starting to kick off," he said. "Those fairly early season varieties, like we have our own IP here called Posy, and we're into harvest, packing as of last week. We started last Tuesday, so that's going all day.
"Ships have already been loaded as of last week, and that's all destined for the Asian markets."
Fruit at Mr Apple's Meeanee Orchard near Napier is getting picked, packed and shipped off, as the apple export season begins. Photo: SUPPLIED/Mr Apple
Napier Port said on its Facebook page it had started receiving and exporting apples for the new season, with a vessel carrying five containers of Mr Apple apples off to China on Monday night.
"While it's still early in the season, this timing is right on track with previous years, as early harvest varieties start making their way through the supply chain," it read. "We're looking forward to seeing volumes grow as the season progresses."
McLeod said fortunately there had been favourable growing conditions for the fruit through spring and summer.
"We had a pretty warm, dry November spring period and that got the growing season really rushing along at a rate of knots.
"Then, during December and into early January, things cooled off with a little bit of rain, a few southerlies through, so the season slowed down a bit, and we're not as early as everyone thought we were going to be."
But he said the fruit coming off the tree was of exceptional quality.
"What we're seeing is probably some of the best fruits since 2018. A very good, clean crop. So it's shaping up to be quite a good year variety-wise, so that's exciting."
McLeod said there were a number of pickers here for harvest from the Pacific Islands under the Recognised Employer Scheme, who he said were "fantastic and vital" to the business.
He added it will be a busy year ahead following the acquisition of Bostock Group orchards in May, which include the Dazzle variety.
Scales reported a net profit after tax of $38.1 million for the six months to June 2024, up 167 percent on the same period in 2023 of $14.3m - citing horticulture returning to pre-Cyclone Gabrielle performance levels, strong proteins performance and higher production.
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