There are about three weeks to go in this year's cherry harvest. Photo: 123rf / Sergei Sosnitsky
A better crop of Central Otago cherries should result in higher profits for growers this season.
They are over a month into the harvest with about another three weeks to go.
Central Otago Fruit Growers Association chair Kris Robb said the quality of cherries this season is really high.
"We've had a mixed bag of weather and there are a few micro climates so yields vary from orchard to orchard but overall this season is looking significantly better than last season.
"If I was to have a guess, I'd say the region could knock out around 5000 more export tonnes which would be up 30-40 percent on last season."
The final count would not be known for a few more weeks yet, Robb said.
"The better yields and solid demand in both domestic and international markets means growers should make better profits.
"That's great for cash flow and we really need it, there's been a lot of investment in the region over the last few years, growing cherries isn't cheap so this season will be a boost."
While domestic demand was starting to taper off, growers were ramping up exports for Chinese New Year later this month, he said.
Chile, one of the largest producers of cherries in the world was also having a great harvest with yields well up on previous years - which growers here were keeping an eye on, Robb said.
"Even with Chile's yields going up 40 percent, it's volume is incomprehensible to us , last year they did about 435,000 tonnes New Zealand did 3700 tonnes so we only do about one percent of what they produce."
Chile flooding international markets with cherries could push prices down - however New Zealand cherries sat in a league of their own, he said.
"The Chilean cherries are sea freighted and are a bulk commodity sold in supermarkets, our cherries are a high quality product sold to high value customers so we don't really compete as such but we do keep an on eye on what they're doing.
"We just need to ensure we are sending the highest quality cherries into market so we can continue to demand a premium."
Chief executive of 45 South, one of the country's largest cherry exporters, Tim Jones agreed.
"We're really ramping up now, picking our main export varieties, the weather has been up and down so things have been a bit slow but the next few weeks will be very busy."
Jones said the company which overseas about 250ha of cherry orchards was seeing beautiful quality fruit.
"The cherries are a really good size and are crunchy which is what our export markets are looking for.
"The export programme is going really well, our export pack out this season will be in excess of 70 percent with the rest of the fruit going into the domestic market."
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