New Zealand apple-planted area in the 2023/2024 market year is forecast to drop substantially from 11,000 ha to 9,200 ha. This development results from the impacts of cyclone Gabrielle, which caused large scale floodwaters, silt, debris, wind, and surface flooding in the primary apple growing regions of Hawkes Bay and Gisborne. FAS/Wellington is forecasting apple production in the 2023/2024 market year to be 460,000 metric tons (MT).
This is representative of a predicted recovery as a result of the forecasted El Niño weather, availability of seasonal labor, and implementation of farm system innovations. Although projected exports are well behind historical years volumes, FAS/Wellington forecast a recovery in the 2023/2024 market year following the damage incurred in the current year. Due to New Zealand’s counter-seasonal production to other countries, market demand will likely stay strong.
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Source: apps.fas.usda.gov