2. Introduction
This report investigates conversion to organic growing for kiwifruit and apples. It is a partner to complement the report "Understanding the Costs and Risks of Conversion to Organic Production Systems" published as MAF Technical Paper No. 2002/1, which considered the dairy, sheep and beef, deer and arable sectors (MAF, 2002a).
This report essentially parallels the objectives and process for the above report, but instead of focusing on major agricultural sectors, the same issues are considered for the major horticultural sectors of kiwifruit and apples.
The project presented in this report had two objectives:
- to identify, prioritise, and quantify the risks and costs associated with the main within-the-orchard-gate constraints of conversion to organic kiwifruit and apple production;
- to collect information on changes in the resource requirements and potential changes in the attributes of the production system, both on- and off-site, as a result of widespread adoption of organic practices.
This report identifies constraints, and their relative significance as seen by growers. The constraints are then analysed for kiwifruit and apples, and comparisons drawn out and assessed.
While the report focuses on the costs and risks of organic kiwifruit and apple production, many of the workshop participants felt that this was unnecessarily negative. They are very much focused on the benefits and opportunities of organic kiwifruit and apple production, and are relatively optimistic about the future and committed to the philosophy of organic production.
Kiwifruit and apples are among the leading sectors in horticultural production of organic products in New Zealand. Organic kiwifruit production has elements of a `mature' sector with area under organic production now stable or possibly declining. Organic apple production has only recently ended a period of rapid growth. Both crops are grown primarily for export markets.
Kiwifruit has undergone significant conversion to organic production, now comprising about 3 million trays, aided by higher prices for organic fruit than conventional in recent years. However organic production is still a modest 4 percent of total New Zealand kiwifruit production (Zespri, 2002). Production of organic kiwifruit is now expected to decline due to reducing profitability. Few kiwifruit orchards are currently in the conversion process to organic production and some are being removed from kiwifruit or returning to conventional production methods. The kiwifruit industry wants to retain organic kiwifruit as a category and is reviewing industry policies as they affect this.
Apple orchards have undergone conversion to organic production methods, particularly in Hawkes Bay where more than 90 percent of organic apple orchards are located. The conversion is more recent than for kiwifruit and the production systems are more complex than for kiwifruit, although there is a greater international pool of organic research and experience due to apples being a crop widely grown throughout the world. Around 3.5 percent of the 2002 apple harvest was organic with further growth, mainly from orchards already certified organic, to 5 percent of total production expected in the next 2-3 years.
Contact for Enquiries
Kay Brown
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0695
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0746
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