The chair of Pipfruit New Zealand, Ian Palmer, says apple growers are sadly mistaken if they think access to the Australian market will be a panacea for the industry's woes.
Mr Palmer told the Pipfruit conference in Havelock North that it is financially tough for many growers at the moment due to the high value of the New Zealand dollar.
He says there is an expectation in the industry that the ability to export apples to Australia for the first time in 90 years will substantially boost returns.
While he agreed Australia was a high-value market, he told conference delegates it was also a new market for New Zealand and it would take time and co-ordination to develop it.
"If we think we are going to put a lot of fruit in there next year and solve our woes because it's a favourable exchange rate, then I think we are sadly mistaken as an industry," he said.
Growers to be balloted
The Australian Government was forced late last year to agree to apple imports from New Zealand following a ruling from the World Trade Organisation.
It ended an 89-year ban imposed due to fear that the bacterial disease fireblight wiping out apple orchards in Victoria and New South Wales.
Pipfruit New Zealand will ballot all apple growers later this month on how they want exports to Australia managed.
Mr Palmer says there was a robust debate at the organisation's AGM this week on whether apple exports to Australia should come under the Horticultural Export Authority Act.
Ian Palmer says voting in the postal ballot on whether exports to Australia should be covered by the Act will be by grower number and production volume.
He says the results will be sent to Agriculture Minister David Carter, so he can decide whether there's sufficient support for the Act to be amended.
