By Armin Werner
Principal Science Advisor
Lincoln Agritech
While driving through the apple-growing regions of Germany, Italy, or France might reveal seemingly endless stretches of orchards, the landscape of apple cultivation in New Zealand tells a slightly different story.
New Zealand is about 70% the size of Germany but has only 7% of the German population. Highly significant to the national economy, New Zealand’s total apple acreage consists of many small, sometimes boutique, orchards alongside larger orchards operated by corporations. Italian orchards are typically smaller than those in New Zealand, which are often run as sole-income businesses or through corporates. These compete in professionalism and commercial ambitions with the estates of our European counterparts.
Around 10,000 to 11,000 hectares of prime New Zealand land (Italy: 60,000 ha) is dedicated to producing crisp, export-quality apples, yielding roughly half a million to 600,000 tonnes yearly. Most are destined for export.
There are also differences in how orchard staff, including management and support staff, are trained. European growers and their industry leaders gain their experience predominantly through ‘training on the job’, complemented by vocational schools. University programmes produce horticultural experts and managers for larger operations.
New Zealand’s approach is often more hands-on and directly tied to industry needs. Organisations like New Zealand Apples and Pears (NZAPI) deliver workshops and on-the-job training, ensuring our orchard managers and workers can access the latest best practices for producing export-grade fruit. University degrees are typical for most orchard managers and industry leaders. Lincoln Agritech’s parent, Lincoln University, plays a vital role in developing experts in the science behind successful horticulture.
Figure 1: Clean start for fresh produce.
Source: Paul Sutherland Photography
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INFLUENCE
Perhaps the most striking difference lies in just how crucial agriculture, and by extension, the apple industry, is to the European and New Zealand economies. While farming might represent a smaller slice of the GDP pie in the industrialised powerhouses of Germany, Italy, and France (hovering around 0.7-2.5%), here in New Zealand, agriculture contributes a much more substantial 5-6%.
This isn’t just about numbers; it shapes the fabric of our rural communities and national identity. New Zealand’s land-based industries have a strong influence on the country’s traditions, culture, and societal development.
This significant economic reliance and a strong focus on international exports have forged an incredibly strong and well-organised network among our apple growers. They understand that in the competitive global market, high-quality marketing is required, so apples from New Zealand must always be as good as possible.
pooling resources and knowledge
Because of this open culture among growers, New Zealand’s apple industry isn’t a fragmented landscape; it’s a cohesive force that actively pools resources and knowledge. You see this in the industry’s proactive approach to funding research and development initiatives – it’s not waiting for someone else to solve its problems. The industry drives its own research and development, tailor-made to the specific challenges of growing premium apples in New Zealand, from pest control to disease management.
As each export market has its standards and quality criteria, New Zealand apple growers target each country individually. Still, in general, they try to comply with the toughest expectations. This collaborative spirit also extends to training programmes, ensuring consistent quality standards across the board and a highly proactive stance on risk avoidance to protect those crucial export markets.
Figure 2: From orchard to order.
Source: Paul Sutherland Photography
open to innovation
There’s a genuine thirst for knowledge and a real openness to innovation among growers and orchard managers. When projects like STELLA come along, offering the potential to better understand and combat threats like bull’s-eye rot, these growers become immediately engaged and supportive. You’ll find them actively participating in trials, eager to share their on-the-ground expertise, and keen to adopt solutions that can give them an edge. This partnership between the scientific community and the practical wisdom of the orchard makes initiatives like the collaboration with Lincoln Agritech and the STELLA project so promising.
The growers might tell you about the decades of family knowledge passed down, now being enhanced by cutting-edge sensor technology that helps them pinpoint disease risks before they even become visible. It’s this blend of tradition, innovation, and a deeply ingrained collaborative spirit that defines the New Zealand apple industry and makes their partnership in projects like STELLA so compelling.
The author acknowledges the use of AI language technology to support the research and drafting of this post. Any errors or opinions are my own.
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