California-based company Giumarra has announced it will be selling New Zealand apricots and cherries this season, in conjunction with grower RD8 Fresh Produce.

Giumarra Companies Southern Hemisphere vice president Craig Uchizano is upbeat about the prospects for the fruit, which is grown in the farming region of Central Otago.

"We are confident in the superior quality of this fruit and think it will be perfect to complement our stone fruit from Chile," says Uchizano.

"RD8 Fresh Produce is a young, innovative and forward-thinking company with a wealth of experience, headed by Craig Hall and Dean Astill."

In a release, Giumarra highlighted Central Otago was well suited to the cultivation of apricots and cherries, with nutrient rich alluvial soils and a climate of very cold winters and hot, dry summers.

Astill says harvesting will begin for the best of the export apricots in early January.

"The apricot season is progressing well. Temperatures have lifted and the fruit is growing nicely," he says.

The release says cherries are already shipping with exports expected to finish in mid-February, while apricots will finish in early-March. The fruit will be available on both the East and West Coasts.

Photo: RD8 Fresh Produce

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