Bad Start to 2020 New Zealand Cherry Season, but Positive Outlook on Exports

The 2019/2020 cherry season in New Zealand is off to a bad start: the rain damaged crops, cool temperatures slowed ripening and poor picking conditions created labor difficulties.

Most of New Zealand's Cherry Production Destined for Export Market

New Zealand is the 9th-largest cherry exporter in the world. New Zealand cherries have gained a reputation for their sweetness and crunchiness. The cherry harvest in this country is around 5K tons annually, of which 3K-4K tons are exported, primarily to Asia. The predominant cherry production area in New Zealand is Central Otago, located on the South Island, which accounted for 90% of the country's cherry export. Their cherries are only available for 4 weeks, from mid-December to mid-January.

During December, most of the cherries are sold in the domestic market due to Christmas promotions. However, the volume of cherry increases significantly in January and 90% of the available cherries are exported to Asian countries, where they are a popular gift during Lunar New Year.

Production in 2019/20 Season

Experts describe this year’s early-season as the most challenging start of the cherry season that New Zealand has experienced in decades. Heavy rain and cold temperatures during the harvesting season damaged the fruits and made harvesting difficult. One of the largest orchards located in Central Otago, 45 South, for instance, has only picked around 100 tons in December, a period that normally sees 250 tons harvested.

Despite the bad start to the cherry season, conditions for mid-season harvesting are looking a lot better than in the previous season, with favorable weather forecasts from mid-January 2020. Growers are ramping up to pick as many mid-season cherries as possible leading up to the Lunar New Year on January 25th. Experts predict that in spite of the difficult season start, New Zealand will not have any difficulties supplying the optimal amount of the most premium varieties thanks to the mid-season.

Outlook on New Zealand’s Cherry Exports

Due to the slight decrease in the New Zealand cherry harvest, experts expect the prices to rise slightly. However, the demand from the major importing countries in Asia will remain unchanged, as quality matters more than price when it comes to cherries. With Lunar New Year around the corner, it is expected that cherry exports remain strong.

Sources

• Coriolis. "Investment opportunities in the New Zealand cherry industry" 
  
• Jihee Junn. "Getting to know your food chain: Central Otago Cherries"
  
• Jo Mckenzie-Mclean. "Rain-damage and cold weather hits Central Otago cherry Stocks."
• Matthew Jones. "High hopes for NZ cherry campaign"
  
• Pongskreek. "World class cherries grown in the heart of New Zealand"