Newspaper Article 1994 – Kiwifruit premiums sought

Kiwifruit premiums sought

Hawke’s Bay kiwifruit growers hope to begin picking this week to capitalise on early season premiums announced last week by the Kiwifruit Marketing Board.

Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association kiwifruit sector chairman Rod Wellwood said this year was the latest picking had ever started in Hawke’s Bay.

Brix levels, a measure of fruit sugar content, had ranged up to 5.5 for some time, but had to reach 6.2 before harvesting could start.

The earliest harvesting had ever started in Hawke’s Bay was March 27, he said. Hawke’s Bay was served by eight packhouses.

The board announced last week it would pay a 10c-a-tray premium for fruit submitted to packhouses by midnight April 25, and 7.5c for fruit reaching packhouses before midnight April 30.

Board executive director Eric Henry said crop maturity was running about four days later than normal, creating a shortfall for early season sales.

The first shipment in an 80-ship global programme this season is carrying a 150,000-tray consignment of fruit to Japan. It was due to arrive early this week to meet heavy demand during the build up to Japan’s Golden Week holiday festivities.

Mr Henry said the shipment would test a new alliance with the Japanese subsidiary of multi-national fruit merchant Dole, which will this year distribute and sell kiwifruit under the board’s direction.

Mr Wellwood said it had been a great growing season, the crop looked good and there was a lot of large fruit on vines.

The late start to picking might be attributable to delayed flowering and pollination in the spring, brought about by cool weather, he said.