New Zealand: Cherries on top, but it’s the pits for Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay cherry growers are still feeling the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. The owner of Riverside Cherries in Hawke’s Bay, Jerf van Beek, said repercussions from Cyclone Gabrielle meant their harvest was “light” and only about half the tonnage of the previous season. Van Beek supplied cherries into the domestic market. Early season cherries were most affected, with quality improving for later varieties, Van Beek said. The cyclone meant soils were waterlogged and trees were not able to store enough carbohydrates, he said. In some blocks access was restricted due to muddy conditions and stopped timely fertiliser application and crop spraying, he said. Quality was, however, good, and prices were very high, which was a “silver lining”, Van Beek said. “However, kilos out the gate make the difference.” Cherry sales were not affected by economic pressures on consumers, he said. The season was stellar, with growers in areas unaffected by the cyclone, such as Blenheim, faring well, he ...