Apple enthusiasts can rejoice as the new season's apples are now available in supermarkets. This comes after severe shortages caused by Cyclone Gabrielle and other adverse weather conditions. January, typically a quiet period for the fruit, was exacerbated by these extreme weather events.
Last month, Paul Paynter, general manager of the Yummy Fruit Company, stated that close to 200,000 trees were decimated. ".. about 24% of [the harvest was] washed out into the Pacific Ocean." He revealed that the country ran out of fruit in December due to the cyclone and its impact on Hawke's Bay.
Foodstuffs, the owner of New World, Pak'nSave, and Foursquare, disclosed to 1News that Royal Gala apples from Gisborne are now in full swing, with Hawke's Bay fruit soon to follow. A Woolworths spokesperson also assured that the new season of New Zealand Royal Gala apples have arrived in stores, with a plentiful supply forthcoming.
Source: www.1news.co.nz