New Zealand persimmons withstand weather challenges

The persimmon season recently kicked off in New Zealand. Following a series of unfavorable weather events, including Cyclone Gabrielle, which hit the North Island’s persimmon orchards earlier this year, the industry is now attempting to provide accurate crop estimates for the 2023 season. According to Ian Turk, product group manager at the New Zealand Persimmon Industry Council, while persimmon orchards mostly avoided structural or flood damage, the volume of this season’s crop has been affected. In 2023, the sector expects to export approximately 1,000 metric tons of fresh persimmons to various markets, including Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, the United States and China. In previous years, the country’s annual persimmon shipments averaged 1,200 metric tons. “Despite this [production decrease], the fruit quality and flavour that we’re seeing this year is exceptionally good with plenty of large, juicy and great tasting persimmons heading to the market,” Turk said. According to ...