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Asia, Middle East drive demand for record New Zealand apple, pear crop

Xinhua, February 17, 2017 Adjust font size:

New Zealand is set to produce its largest ever crop of apples and pears this year, with about half of its exports going to growing Asian and Middle Eastern markets, the industry body said Friday.

Crop estimates showed the 2017 forecast of 584,000 tonnes would eclipse the previous record of 560,000 tonnes in 2004, Pipfruit New Zealand chief executive Alan Pollard said.

The 2017 crop, produced from 9,500 hectares, showed huge productivity gains compared with the 2004 crop, which was grown on 13,500 hectares.

"In 2004, 84 percent of apples went to North America and the European Union and only 13 percent to Asia and the Middle East. Today that ratio is approaching 50-50," said Pollard.

In 2012, the industry set a goal of exports reaching 1 billion NZ dollars (719.7 million U.S. dollars) by 2022.

Exports had more than doubled from 341 million NZ dollars (245.42 million U.S. dollars) in 2012 to about 720 million NZ dollars (518.18 million U.S. dollars) last year.

The industry expected to achieve its export target much earlier than forecast, and was already looking towards setting a goal of 2 billion NZ dollars (1.44 billion U.S. dollars), said Pollard. Endit