Originally Posted by
Toddy
Zespri sent out a grower update yesterday with an early forecast for this season just underway.
The forecast tray numbers are very sobering. They have forecast just over 7,000 trays per ha average for green and mid 11,000 trays per ha for gold.
The packout rates so far have also been below average with skin rub from wind being the main reject.
The cumulative effects (costs and lost production) of the extreme weather events (frost, rain, wind) is starting to become reality.
Grasping at positives, it will be a short selling and storage year which should mean less offshore fruit losses at market. And the harvest and packing should be a cake walk weather permitting.
Seeka, Eastpack etc have been working hard with the growers to control the controllables.
However, it's the outright volume of tray numbers that count for economies of scale to make money in this game.
Fingers crossed that normal weather patterns resume next season.