The new season apple harvest in Aotearoa New Zealand is off to an excellent start, with the first of T&G Global’s premium JAZZ™ branded apples being harvested last week.
Photo by John Cowpland / alphapix
This marks the beginning of a strong season for T&G’s premium global apple brands and commercial varieties, with harvest underway across a number of varieties in Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti Gisborne, Nelson and Central Otago.
Shane Kingston, T&G’s Chief Operating Officer Apples, highlighted the superb quality of the crop thanks to favourable conditions and the hard work of growers.
“With ideal spring weather across Aotearoa New Zealand, it’s provided optimal growing conditions. This, together with our growers’ great work, has resulted in excellent tasting fruit with good colour and sizing. In fact, it’s been one of our best growing seasons in many years. Our JAZZ™ branded apples have built a great reputation for their distinctive tangy-sweet flavour and refreshing taste profile, and this year’s crop will not disappoint,” said Shane.
T&G’s Aotearoa New Zealand apple harvest began in February with early varieties and brands, including POPPI™ and Royal Gala, before moving onto JAZZ™ branded apples. T&G’s premium ENVY™ branded apples will begin to be harvested in Tairāwhiti Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay imminently.
The first shipments of JAZZ™ apples from Aotearoa New Zealand are due to depart Napier Port this week, bound for key international markets including Japan, the United Kingdom, France and Italy.
“JAZZ™ branded apples are sold in over 50 countries, and in 2024/25, sales of our premium European crop have been very strong, allowing us to maintain strong demand and pricing throughout the season across the United Kingdom, Europe and key Asian markets. This positions us well to seamlessly transition to Aotearoa New Zealand-grown apples in the coming weeks, to ensure consumers can enjoy the much-loved brand year-round,” Shane noted.
Photo by John Cowpland / alphapix
Generations of New Zealanders have grown up with JAZZ™ branded apples but it might not be so well known that they are as equally loved around the world.
“Since T&G started exporting JAZZ™ branded apples to Japan in 2011, they’ve become a firm favourite amongst Japanese consumers. JAZZ™ is the number one imported apple and in 2024, we saw a 29% increase in sales volumes. Japan’s market access rules are extremely stringent to protect the local industry, and our growers do a fantastic job growing high-quality premium fruit for Japan and all other markets,” says Shane.
“In the United Kingdom, JAZZ™ is among the top four most popular apples, with a record 1.189 million tray carton equivalents (TCEs)—or nearly 150 million pieces of fruit—sold in 2024. Grown locally, as well as in Europe, Aotearoa New Zealand and a number of other countries, we have ambitious growth plans to grow the brand further in the United Kingdom, with more shoppers and households enjoying JAZZ™ more often.”
