Consolidated Fruits is set to take over a new packhouse for the 2025/26 cherry season, marking a major step as the company begins harvest next week in Central Otago, New Zealand.
The parent company behind the well-known Kiwi Crunch brand and Prunus Orchards, its dedicated cherry operation, Consolidated Fruits, has invested heavily in orchard improvements and looks forward to having full control of its packing operations.
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"During 2025, we undertook a major project, stripping back tree structures to the correct number of vertical cordons, reducing tree height to increase sunlight, and reducing humidity under areas with rain covers. The trees received significant nutrition and a more structured spray regimen, and the resulting crop is unlike any the company's long-time orchard managers have observed before," said Wade Glass, Consolidated Fruits Executive Director.
"Based upon the expected crop and all of the hard work of the orchard team, we felt obliged to control the packing process and to deliver fruit in each grade specification that its customers expect. So the company decided to control all of its own packing, with orchard managers and pack house managers working in tandem," Glass said.
Prunus Orchards expects to harvest over 800 tonnes of cherries in the coming season, according to Gareth Hope, South Island General Manager.
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"We have six orchards located from Roxburgh to Bendigo in Central Otago. The geographic spread sees some orchards mature earlier and some later, meaning that we can supply cherries for a longer supply window. It also serves as a risk mitigation factor, as if one orchard is struck by an extreme weather event, then we still have other orchards which we can supply our customers with fruit from," Hope said.
The company has a range of varieties, including Kordia, Staccato, Regina, Sweetheart, and Lapins, with 50 hectares in full production and a further 82 hectares to be in full production in the next few years.
"Growing conditions have been encouraging so far. We've had favourable weather during pollination, and fortunately, we've avoided any significant frost events. Early signs suggest that fruit size is going to be better than in previous seasons when comparing the current size to that of the same timing last season. We anticipate this is a result of the irrigation improvements, thinning, and nutrition efforts our orchard teams have completed during the off-season.
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"The timing this season has been tracking 7 days or so behind previous seasons, although the recent run of warm sunny weather seems to be helping the cherries
mature, and it is expected that more of this could advance the maturity, and timing could be similar to last season. The timing should be perfect for targeting arrivals for Chinese New Year celebrations," Hope said.
The company's main export markets are Taiwan, Vietnam, China, and Hong Kong, with Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea highlighted as target areas for further growth.
For more information:
Anna Catley
Kiwi Crunch
[email protected]
