For nearly 90 years, the Lowe family has been harvesting apples on the orchard near Brightwater and this week Andrew Lowe begins harvesting the export varieties that will end up around the globe.
He is the third-generation in his family to grow fruit on the orchard, which still has some of the original Sturmer apple trees that were planted and harvested by his grandparents. They took over an existing orchard in 1935 and today it produces fruit for local market from about 7ha, with another 5.5ha growing apples for export.
It is a small orchard by today’s standards and Andrew says that is why they have a big focus on local market and grow a variety of fruit that includes strawberries, stonefruit and plums, and now have young cherry trees that will add to the mix.
Heading into the export apple harvest this year, he says the crop is looking “pretty good” though the fruit size on the orchard is slightly smaller due to thinning challenges.
“Fruit set was exceptional, but chemical thinning wasn’t as good as we would have liked, so we had a bigger hand-thinning job. It was a bit of a battle to get the job done. So, the downside is the fruit size is a bit smaller.
“Quality and volume is looking good, but how it all pans out is an unknown. We don’t really know until November-December when you get your final payment. But you have to be optimistic.”
On a smaller orchard, Andrew says it is difficult to get RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer) workers and they rely on backpackers to help get the fruit off the trees at harvest. Though there were plenty of backpackers around earlier in summer, he says there seems to be less looking for work now, perhaps because they have moved on to other regions for work.
He has enough seasonal staff organised for the harvest, but says it is never a guarantee.
“It’s a lottery every year when it comes to staffing. But at this stage, it seems okay.”
Harvest will be done and dusted on the orchard by early April, whereas he says larger orchards with more apple varieties will be harvesting through to May.
Though the orchard has a limited range for export, it grows a diverse mix for local market such as a few trees of Cox’s Orange which was once widely grown on orchards throughout Tasman but is now a rarity and a treat.
