Cyclone Gabrielle Has Cost Hawke’s Bay Apple And Pear Growers $270 Million In Lost Earnings

Cyclone Gabrielle has cost Hawke’s Bay apple and pear growers $270 million in lost earnings, on top of what it’s going to cost to rebuild the industry. New Zealand Apples and Pears market access manager Danielle Adsett says growers are still clearing silt from their orchards and are now waiting for the spring blossoms, which will reveal the true impact of the flood on trees. She says it is a critical time and not just a matter of turning the soil for the next season. Danielle Adsett says apple and pear trees take years to grow and her team has been involved in studies into the potential damage caused to trees by silt and waterlogging. In a good year, the Hawke’s Bay apple and pear industry generates about $560 million in revenue. But 2023 has not been a good year.