Overview
The New Zealand summerfruit industry comprises 250 growers who produce fruit from just over 2,500 hectares. The main growing areas are Hawkes Bay and Central Otago, with some production remaining in Marlborough, north of Auckland, Central North Island and Canterbury.
Most nectarines, peaches and plums produced in New Zealand are consumed on the domestic market. Small volumes of each are exported, largely to the USA, Singapore and the Pacific.
Cherries and apricots produced in Central Otago account for most exports. Asian countries dominate export sales for cherries, Taiwan and China being the main markets, however markets in other countries are expanding rapidly. Countries such as Vietnam and Thailand have emerged to gain market share from larger markets.
Australia and the USA are the primary export markets for apricots.
The majority of processed summerfruit is peaches and a small volume of plums supplied to Heinz Wattie’s Ltd. Since the closure of the Roxdale cannery in the early 2000s, processing of other summerfruit for canning has reduced dramatically, but new opportunities are appearing in the market for juicing and other summerfruit products.
The value of exports and sales on the New Zealand market are evenly balanced, with total export value slightly higher than that of domestic value.