Orchards

Cromwell’s arid climate makes the basin a unique region for cherry and apricot growing. Cold winter climate provides ample chilling for healthy trees, low summer rainfall and regular sunshine provides the perfect location to produce export Summerfruit.

With new varieties of cherries, the harvest season can now extend from mid-December until late January. Recent cherry plantings has made Cromwell the single largest growing area in the country and exports are made to Taiwan, Korea, S-E Asia, USA, Australia and Europe.

Harvest Calendar

  Dec - Jan: Cherries
  Dec - Feb: Apricots
  Dec – Mar: Peaches
  Jan – Mar Nectarines
  Mid Dec – Apr Plums

Want to work in Central Otago?

Seasonal workers are required!

Jobs include

  • picking, pruning, thinning, packing, sorting, fork lift and tractor driving

Contact:


Taste Central Fruit!

You can taste the joy of Central Otago fruit in the many roadside fruit stalls along highways passing through Cromwell. They include:

Jackson Orchards
  • Address: State Highway 6, Cromwell
  • Phone: +64 3 445 0596
Glenvale Orchard
  • Address: Ripponvale Road, Cromwell
Webb's Orchard
  • Address: State Highway 6, Cromwell
  • Phone: +64 3 445 1217
Jones Family Fruit Stall
  • Address: State Highway 6, Cromwell
  • Phone: +64 3 445 0275
Sarita Farm Partnership Orchard
  • Address: State Highway 6, Ripponvale
  • Phone: +64 3 445 1183
45 South Management Ltd
  • Address: 183 Cnr Ord Road &SH6, PO Box 46, Cromwell 9342
  • Phone: +64 3 445 1402
Freeway Orchard
  • Address: State Highway 8B, Cromwell
  • Phone: +64 3 445 1500
 

Further Reading

  • “Beating the Odds. A social and economic analysis of the summerfruit industry in Central Otago”: Horticultural and Food Research Institute of NZ Ltd. 1999