Stonefruit from New Zealand's main growing regions, Hawke's Bay and Central Otago, is moving into supermarkets as the summer season progresses. Apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, and plums are now being harvested and supplied to the domestic market.
According to Summerfruit NZ Chief Executive Dean Smith, the season has developed in line with expectations. "Both major growing regions reported mostly full fruit sets, with only some variability in plums from Hawke's Bay. There has been plenty of winter chill, which is necessary for deciduous fruit trees, and good soil moisture back at bloom."
Supply volumes of summerfruit have increased steadily through late spring and early summer. Harvest periods in the main regions overlap, which supports continuity of supply for both local consumption and export programs.
"The biggest volumes of all stonefruit are in January," Smith said. "A crowd favourite is a Sweet Dream peach – big with a rosy red blush, peelable skin, fabulous melting texture, and a sweet flavour with a hint of acid in the background."
Harvest activity continues through to March. "The last fruit to be picked is peacharines from Mangaweka (branded Diana's) and a New Zealand-bred plum called Malone in Hawke's Bay in March. So there is New Zealand-grown summerfruit available for a good five months of the year."
Handling and storage practices remain a key factor in maintaining quality through the retail chain. Research referenced by Summerfruit NZ indicates that consumers who experience poor eating quality may avoid repeat purchases for several weeks, which can reduce seasonal demand.
Fruit handling guidelines highlight the need for gentle treatment throughout packing, transport, and retail display. Loose fruit should not be poured or rummaged when setting up displays, and damaged or unsaleable fruit should be removed regularly.
Post-packing storage recommendations place summerfruit at 0°C to 2°C. Storage at temperatures between 2°C and 7°C over extended periods can result in mealy texture, while exposure below the freezing point of minus 1°C causes immediate flesh damage.
Summerfruit is generally not marketed by variety. Smith noted, "In round numbers, there are about 50 varieties within each of the five fruit types. This is one of the reasons that we seldom see summerfruit labelled by variety in the supermarkets – what is in season today may well be different tomorrow."
The season is expected to continue through late summer, supported by coordinated harvesting across regions and standard post-harvest handling practices.
Source: SupermarketNews
