Apple Bytes - New Zealand Apple Newsletter
Issue 5: 13 April 2009
Intended for Recipient Only.
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Happy Easter
- NZ National holidays office closed on 10-14 April
- Now quoting prices for week 17,18,1
- Good start to season
- Other varieties now available
- View PIL and MSC lines departure dates on the newsletter
Royal Gala Airstore ending
The season for Royal Gala has been good, with steady demand from global customers.
Colour has been good averaging 60-65%. Air store ending and CA is beginning. Our pack-house will finish grading/packing of Royal Gala next week. With advance orders, we will finish Royal Gala in 3 weeks time. Note: other pack-houses will vary, and may still have fruit.
Red Delicious
Red Delicious harvested around the 15 March. Traditionally we have packed this variety into 20kgs for India, however with difficulty meeting Indian MAF pest requirements this season, we packed into 18kgs, to suit all markets.
Strong demand for Red Delicious with advance orders. Shape good this year with some elongation. Traditionally NZ Red Delicious has been “squat” in shape. We are clearing stocks now, so if you are interested in taking a mixed container please contact me for a stock list.
Granny Smith
Excellent demand for Granny Smith with advance orders through to week 18. Due to Easter this variety will be packed from 14th April onwards.
Fruit looks good and clean. Average fruit size around 102#
Braeburn
Average fruit size around #104. Colour averaging 40%+ fruit looking very clean.
Lot’s of interest for Braeburn in mixed container loads.
NZ Queen
NZ Queen harvested end of March, with packing starting last week.
Colour excellent, fruit looking clean this year. Prices started high and have since stabilized.
Average fruit size around #90 count. Large size fruit.
Fuji Apples
We are grading in 2 colour brackets this season 50-70% and 70% up colour.
Fruit looking very clean. Average size around 90# count. Large size apple, with hardly anything below 120#.
NZ Rose
Harvesting after Easter in Week 16, with first exports expected from week 17 onwards.
Prices will be available in next few days. Large size apple.
Average size: 87#
Very little sizes below 110# expected.
Anticipated harvest dates
Harvest dates should follow a similar trend to last season as follows:
| Apple Type | Harvest Date |
|---|---|
| NZ Beauty | 10 Feb |
| Royal Gala | 17-24 Feb |
| Red Delicious | 15 March |
| NZ Queen | 20 March |
| Braeburn | 26 March |
| NZ Rose | 14 April |
| Granny Smith | 14 April |
Packing & Pictures
We predominantly pack in 18kg cartons, which is the NZ standard.
Our primary export grade is called: Class One.
Class One has 2 colour brackets.
50-70% Standard
70% up High Colour
The differences between Standard colour and high colour are shown. To give a proper indication of colour we have photographed the front red side of the apple/and then again the green side.
Fuji
| High Colour 70% up | Standard Colour 50-70% |
|---|---|
Fuji Apples red side 
|
Fuji Apples red side  |
Fuji Apples green side  |
Fuji Apples green side  |
Braeburn
| Braeburn Pics |
|---|
 |
Red Delicious
We have the following sizes left in stock. If interested please contact me:
| Red Delicious Pics |
|---|
 |
| 70# | 15 pallets |
| 80# | 22 pallets |
| 90# | 22 pallets |
| 100# | 0 advance orders |
| 110# | 0 advance orders |
| 120# | 0 advance orders |
| 135# | 9 pallets |
| 150# | 5 pallets |
| 165# | 3 pallets |
| 180# | 2 pallets |
NZ Queen
| High Colour 70% up | Standard Colour |
|---|---|
NZ Queen Apples red side 
|
NZ Queen Apples red side  |
NZ Queen Apples green side  |
NZ Queen Apples green side  |
Shipping Lines
We are utilizing the services of PIL shipping lines and MSC Lines this year.
| PIL Lines | Napier ETD | |
|---|---|---|
| OOCL Melb | V80 | 25 April |
| Cal. Mercury | V230 | 02 May |
| Kota Permata | V22 | 09 May |
| MSC Lines | Napier ETD | |
|---|---|---|
| MSC Basel | V916 | 26 April |
| MSC Jemima | 917 | 03 May |
| Antwerp | 918 | 10 May |
| MSC America | 919 | 17 May |
Packing
Most apples are packed in 18kg which is the NZ standard, except for Red Delicious and Fuji apples.
SG Standard colour is 50- 70%
HG High colour is 70-75% up, and generally commands a premium.
| Size 18kg | 20kg |
|---|---|
| 80 | 80=90 |
| 90 | 90=100 |
| 100 | 100=113 |
| 110 | 110=125 |
| 120 | 120=135 |
| 135 | 135=150 |
| 150 | 150=165 |
Registration of Interest
We will keep you updated regularly with our fortnightly newsletter.
Don't forget that you can view our NZ Apple newsletters on our website www.nzfreshfruits.com as well as previous years.
Best Regards,
Denise & Bala
References: AgFirst, Pipfruit NZ Inc. Market Panel Member.
Disclaimer:
Information has come from a variety of sources and is largely summary articles. References are indicated. Where opinions are expressed they are of the writer, and do not necessarily represent the New Zealand Apple Industry. Fresh Fruits Company Ltd cannot be held responsible for damages which may be incurred as a result of any person acting upon information in this publication.