Growers
We have just under 300 summerfruit growers in New Zealand
More than half of them have planted less than 4 hectares of summerfruit.
Just over 40 growers have more than 10 hectares planted, 20 of those have more than 20 hectares.
The rest of our growers fit into that 4-10 hectare category.
Combined our growers have planted just over 1800 hectares of summerfruit.
Sales in kilos and hectares planted 2011
| Apricots | Cherries | Peaches | Nectarines | Plums | |
| Export (kgs) | 1,504,767 | 1,308,344 | 4,621 | 42,053 | 14,982 |
| NZ Market (kgs) | 2,731,991 | 1,007,278 | 3,575,235 | 3,349,245 | 2,520,597 |
| Total | 4,236,758 | 2,315,622 | 3,579,856 | 3,391,298 | 2,535,579 |
| Total Hectares planted | 332 | 645 | 328 | 307 | 217 |
So those are the numbers but who are the people that actually grow our fruit?
You’ll find profiles of some of the summerfruit growers here.
You’ll find more of them on the Summerfruit NZ Executive, or attending the annual conference or coming along to SummerGreen workshops, or on the Export Reference Group or the Research and Development Committee.
All are committed to producing the best summerfruit that they can, whether for our New Zealand consumer or for those in our export markets.
It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.
If you'll allow us a little paraphrasing of an American journalist, Bob Welch,
But what makes seasonal fruit so scrumptious is that it is part of a rhythm, a rhythm that allows you access to it only once a year. And, let's face it, it's the 10 months of not having fresh summerfruit that makes fresh summerfruit so inviting.