Poor start but cherry on the cake for some

BY BLAIR ENSOR

After a diabolical start to the season, Marlborough stone fruit growers have taken some salvation from warm, dry December weather, but overall there was little to smile about.

Both cherry growers and apricot growers reported one of the worst seasons on record.

Primac Horticulture owner Murray Neal, who grows apricots, nectarines and peaches, said it was one of the most difficult seasons he had contended with.

A cold spring had "knocked around" the volume and yield of his crop and market prices were up to 20 per cent down on average, which Mr Neal attributed to the recession.

"We are seeing the effects this year rather than last year," he said.

Cherryland owner Paul Kinzett said it was one of the poorest seasons he had experienced.

Despite some magnificent late fruit, his crop never recovered from poor pollination and a cold, wet start to the season.

The fruit from his orchard was normally exported, but the yield was not enough to justify sending any offshore this season, Mr Kinzett said.

Kiwi Cherries owner Terry Sowman said his crop became good later in the season, but that returned his orchard's performance to only average.

Plastic cherry covering had saved fruit from more extensive damage, Mr Sowman said.

"It could have been absolutely diabolical, but the way it finished I definitely couldn't grizzle.

"We picked ourselves up and got ourselves across the finish line," he said.

"It's an annual story."

Prices on the local market were down by about $2 a kilogram because of the economic environment, Mr Sowman said.

People were not willing to dip into their pockets for luxury items such as cherries, he said.

Hawke's Bay had had a good season and had pumped a lot of fruit into the market which had softened prices.

Cherrybank owner Bernie Rowe said he had a "long face" at the beginning of the season when his fruit was "bashed around and split a lot", but improved weather brought better fortunes for his fruit and he managed to sell most of it at a reasonable price.

"Better than grapes," he said.

"We anticipated another rain that would have knocked the stuffing out of the rest of it, but that never happened."

Export prices were buoyant because the quantity being sold offshore was down, Mr Rowe said.

"It's a happy finish."

- The Marlborough Express