After the scare of two weather systems that brought strong winds and flooding to New Zealand, preliminary feedback shows the country's kiwifruit industry appears to be mostly in the clear. 

"I’m pleased to say that the NZ kiwifruit industry appears to have escaped relatively unscathed from last week’s Cyclone Cook," a Zespri spokesperson told Fresh Fruit Portal.

"We’ve had no reports of serious damage or anyone being hurt and we don’t anticipate this will impact on the overall 2017 season.

"It’s a gorgeous day today in the Bay of Plenty and the weather forecast is great for the week, with picking and packing now in full swing."

Last Thursday, New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI) CEO Nikki Johnson issued a statement about the floods in the small Bay of Plenty town of Edgecumbe.

"Since the rainfall last week, NZKGI has been identifying severely affected orchards near Edgecumbe and providing support where necessary, particularly with pumping water off orchards," she said.

"We have also been communicating the availability of pastoral care for members of our grower community who are experiencing stress. 

"While some orchards have experienced some form of flooding, at this time we know of only a small handful of orchards which have been severely affected."

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