Golden Year for Wattie’s Peaches

Golden Year for Wattie’s Peaches
• 46% increase in peach crop
• Larger, firmer fruit - magnificent response from growers

This week Wattie’s has started processing one of its heritage crops, Golden Queen Peaches, and canning will continue throughout March.

With both larger fruit and a huge increase in the total volume, it looks like a vintage year for Wattie’s peaches.

Golden Queen is one of crops that helped create the Wattie’s brand, as the first peaches were harvested and processed by James Wattie in 1935 after a contract with a Hawke’s Bay grower was sealed on the “shake of a hand”.

Just as Wattie’s celebrates its 75th anniversary, this year’s harvest is looking like a standout one for the business, with a forecast 46% increase in the peaches to 4200 tonne.

Agriculture Manager Ivan Angland said this peach season was looking like a tremendous one. Good warm weather early in the season and more rain than usual has produced excellent sized fruit.

“The entire crop is grown on Hawke’s Bay’s Heretaunga Plains by 48 growers – some are second and third generation peach growers for Wattie’s - who have responded magnificently to the signals we have given them for larger, firmer fruit.

“The peaches we are harvesting in the next four weeks will go into Wattie’s range of peach and fruit salad products.”

Ivan said the Company has been working hard to reduce the risks to its peach crop after two badly frost-affected seasons in the past 10 years.

“We have worked hard with growers to increase our confidence in supply. There has been significant investment in frost mitigation (wind mills and sprinkler systems) to increase crop security, which is a win-win for the grower, Wattie’s and our loyal consumers. The number of peach growers has dropped from 81 five years ago to 48, but their operations are larger.

“We are relying on the skills of these growers to achieve the full potential of the peach crop because, as every home gardener knows, there are plenty of challenges right up until the last piece of fruit is picked.”

ENDS

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