Business South May 2021

| 53 Tim Jones, CEO of 45 South, is urging growers to invest in new growing systems or labour saving technology. HORTICULTURE 45 South Inspire. Empower. Deliver. Seafreight Airfreight Roadfreight Facilities KN FreshChain Logistics for Perishables We are proud to be the logistics partner for 45 South – the home of New Zealand’s finest export cherries www.kuehne-nagel.com Stuart Elliott Business Development Manager M: +64-21-527-904 E: Stuart.Elliott@kuehne-nagel.com under the watchful gaze of Mount Pisa. As far away from the sea as you can get and with the most continental climate in New Zealand, the orchards are protected by the mountain ranges to the west where the rain generally falls. “We have cool winters which give us the winter chilling we need for our crop and hot dry summers that give us the fruit quality and flavours that we’re renowned for.” Over 20 varieties of cherries are grown on 100 hectares of 45 South’s own land, and a further 100 hectares of orchards managed on behalf of other growers. Six main varieties of cherries — Chelan, Stella, Lapin, Sweetheart, Steccato and Sente- nial — account for 80% of the total yield. “In essence we have enough area under management and volume coming through the packhouse that on average we grow about 25% – 30% of New Zealand’s cherry crop every year, depending on what the crop is like.” While 45 South partners with Foodstuffs for a pre-Christmas programme throughout New Zealand, about 70% of the crop is exported. “In excess of 90% of cherries exported goes into South East Asia. Taiwan and China are the two biggest markets for us. “But others such as Vietnam, Thailand, Ma- laysia, Singapore and Korea are all important and there is increasing volumes going into North America as well.”