The World of Apples

Apples of New Zealand

25 varieties in the atlas came from New Zealand. The oldest is Dillington Beauty, dated by 1872.

Map of where the apple varieties in the atlas came from A map of the world on the Equal Earth projection, with a dot for each variety at its place of origin.

Harvest

New Zealand grew 575,214 tonnes of apples in 2024, 0.59% of the world's harvest; it ranked 23rd among the world's producers.1 FAOSTAT estimated this figure; it is not one New Zealand reported.

1961 2024
The figures
YearTonnes
2024 575,214
2023 585,847
2022 578,248
2021 575,146
2020 566,870
2019 556,312
2018 480,000
2017 470,000
2016 550,000
2015 540,000
2014 490,000
2013 444,178
2012 437,107
2011 439,418
2010 444,154
2009 431,000
2008 446,000
2007 421,000
2006 354,000
2005 524,000
2004 546,000
2003 501,192
2002 530,633
2001 473,726
2000 620,000
1999 545,000
1998 523,000
1997 567,000
1996 549,000
1995 527,000
1994 480,700
1993 439,000
1992 487,507
1991 380,000
1990 361,000
1989 393,000
1988 330,000
1987 338,000
1986 343,852
1985 276,594
1984 246,152
1983 233,285
1982 225,898
1981 242,031
1980 211,400
1979 180,058
1978 185,144
1977 145,539
1976 172,471
1975 159,403
1974 152,116
1973 143,138
1972 149,470
1971 126,759
1970 140,413
1969 112,300
1968 113,200
1967 105,403
1966 113,620
1965 102,900
1964 109,400
1963 84,000
1962 93,490
1961 74,400

Estimated or imputed by FAOSTAT, not a figure the country reported.

Growing regions

  • Hawke's Bay New Zealand's largest apple region, where Gala was named and Scifresh and Scilate were bred

Varieties from New Zealand, oldest first

  • Photograph of Kidd's Orange Red apples at the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale, on the tree.

    Kidd's Orange Red

    J. H. Kidd's first success at Greytown, from Cox's Orange Pippin and Delicious, and a parent of Gala

    New Zealand, 1924

  • Photograph of Gala apples at the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale, on the tree.

    Gala

    Raised by J. H. Kidd at Greytown, New Zealand, about 1934 from Kidd's Orange Red and Golden Delicious

    New Zealand, about 1934

  • Photograph of Braeburn apples at the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale, on the tree.

    Braeburn

    A Nelson chance seedling grown commercially from 1952; DNA names Delicious and Sturmer Pippin as its parents

    New Zealand, by 1952

  • Photograph of Sciros apples on sale in a supermarket as Pacific Rose.

    Sciros

    A late rose-pink apple bred at Havelock North from Splendour and Gala; sold under the trade mark Pacific Rose

    New Zealand, 1984

  • Photograph of Scifresh apples at the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale, on the tree.

    Scifresh

    Bred at Havelock North from a 1985 cross of Braeburn and a highly coloured sport of Gala; sold under the trade mark Jazz

    New Zealand, 1985

  • Photograph of Scilate apples at the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale, on the tree.

    Scilate

    A late apple from a 1985 Havelock North cross; in 2025 the second-largest share of New Zealand's apple exports

    New Zealand, 1985

  • PremA17

    An early yellow-and-red apple from a 1995 cross in Hawke's Bay; its fruit is sold under the trade mark Smitten

    New Zealand, 1995

  • Photograph of Plumac apples on sale in Auckland as Koru.

    Plumac

    Found in 1998 as a chance seedling in a garden at Upper Moutere, Nelson; sold under the trade mark Koru

    New Zealand, 1998

And 17 more in the catalogue, A to Z

Sources

  1. FAOSTAT: Production: Crops and livestock products, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Updated 31 December 2025. Supports: each country's apple harvest by year (item 515, apples, in tonnes, 1961 to 2024), the shares of the world's harvest and the ranks worked out from them, and which figures FAOSTAT estimated or imputed.