Stone fruit will arrive on NZ supermarket shelves later than usual this season. According to Summerfruit NZ chief executive Kate Hellstrom, early crops traditionally come out of the areas that were devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle, which is the cause of the delay.
“Some growers lost trees and that was pretty devastating for them, but many growers’ trees had wet feet basically, so the fruit is just taking a bit longer this year,” Hellstrom said. “They are very excited for a positive summer and the El Niño weather pattern will hopefully dry everything out. Hold on, they are nearly here”
At present, consumers can expect to pay premium prices at the checkout for the fruit, with some types costing as much as $18/kg. Early-season cherries have already started to appear on supermarket shelves.
Source: nzherald.co.nz