Tuesday, 01 April 2014 09:52

First shipments in Psa recovery voyage

Written by Pamela Tipa

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KIWIFRUIT GROWERS have taken another step on recovery pathway from the vine-killing disease Psa, with gold kiwifruit volumes forecast to rise in 2014 after two years of decline, Zespri's chief executive Lain Jager says.

The 2014 harvest began in orchards in Gisborne, Hawke's Bay and Te Puke last week, with the first shipment of Zespri kiwifruit leaving the Port of Tauranga on the MV Lapponian Reefer for Japan on Sunday (March 30).

Jager says it is forecast the industry will harvest up to 16 million trays of gold kiwifruit – which includes around 9 million trays of Zespri SunGold/Gold3 – and a total crop volume of all Zespri varieties of around 85 million trays of kiwifruit. The estimated gold volume is up from around 11 million trays harvested last season.

"SunGold (Gold3) has been the cornerstone of the industry's recovery, replacing the more Psa-susceptible Gold (Hort16A) variety, with more than 4,000 hectares now licensed to grow in New Zealand.

"While we will never eradicate Psa from New Zealand, the ability of the industry to start rebuilding volumes in such a short time is testament to the innovative and cooperative nature of New Zealand growers and the very strong support we have had from the Government and other industry stakeholders," Jager says.

Jager says Zespri is well on track to having 50 million trays of SunGold by 2018, with over half of New Zealand growers now growing more than one variety on their orchards. The industry earned around $1 billion in export earnings last year.

"Great growing conditions this season have produced good-tasting fruit with a larger size profile than last year, and volumes are increasing around three- to four-fold for the new gold cultivar SunGold/Gold3, with strong demand from customers," Jager says.

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