In the Teviot Valley, some apple blocks remain unpicked as growers assess the volatility of the international market. Stephen Darling, overseeing a visible block along the highway in Ettrick, noted that the risk of low returns from larger, late-season red apples did not justify harvesting.

Darling remarked, “It [the unpicked block] is just one part of our overall orchard, but a very visible part, so it’s attracted a bit of attention, unfortunately.” Nonetheless, smaller apples from his orchard continue to find markets overseas, where consumers are cost-conscious. He stated, “Certainly it’s been harder to sell the higher-priced, gift-type fruit.”

Further down the road at Dumbarton Orchard, Roxburgh, John McKinnel indicated that an inability to meet color standards left 200 to 300 bins of Braeburn apples unharvested. McKinnel, with extensive experience, explained, “They’re picked to a colour standard, so what you’re seeing left had not reached the colour for export. The Braeburn is an apple that is quite hard to get the colour into, so there is always a percentage left on the tree.”

While a majority of Braeburn apples from McKinnel’s orchard met export criteria, he concurred with Darling that domestic markets couldn’t absorb leftover fruit. Both growers noted the abundance of apples available for local consumers. Darling concluded, “We are very successful at apple growing in New Zealand, and this year we were looking at a record apple crop.”

Source: Otago Daily Times