When the last batch of Cripps Red apples arrived at Betko in early June, it marked the official end of the 2026 harvest season.
Over the past five months, thousands of apple and pear bins moved through Betko’s intake facilities. Each bin represented months of planning and care in the orchards, from winter pruning and spring flowering through to harvest. Once received, fruit moved through a carefully managed process of intake, quality assessment, cooling, storage, packing and dispatch before reaching customers around the world.
The arrival of the final bins marks an important milestone, but it does not signal the end of activity at Betko. Instead, attention shifts from receiving fruit to carefully managing the fruit already in storage, while adapting to changing market conditions as the Northern Hemisphere moves into summer.
Throughout the harvest season, our intake and refrigeration teams worked side by side to ensure fruit was received, cooled and stored under the correct conditions. Now that the last fruit has been delivered, the focus shifts towards managing the significant volumes that remain in storage.
Much of the fruit harvested during the season will not be packed or exported immediately. Instead, it was placed into controlled atmosphere (CA) storage, where oxygen, carbon dioxide and temperature levels are carefully managed to preserve quality and extend storage life. These specialised environments allow fruit to maintain its condition for months after harvest, ensuring a consistent supply to customers long after the orchards have fallen quiet.
While the orchards may be quieter now, activity at Betko continues. Refrigeration teams closely monitor storage conditions, while fruit is gradually released to the packhouse as orders are packed and prepared for local and international markets.
The 2026 season brought both opportunities and challenges. Strong apple volumes in several varieties contributed to a busy and productive harvest, while market conditions remained more challenging in some categories, particularly pears. As with every season, valuable lessons were learned along the way, reinforcing the importance of adaptability, operational efficiency and maintaining a strong focus on quality.
This time of year also creates an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved. The 2026 season was marked by several important milestones for Betko, with a number of internal records being surpassed along the way. While every season brings its own challenges, it also provides opportunities to learn, improve and build on previous successes. Every harvest is the result of countless people working together toward a common goal. From the orchards to the packhouse, every team contributes to keeping fruit moving efficiently through the season.
The months ahead remain busy. Fruit will continue moving through storage, packing and dispatch operations, while teams across Betko focus on maintaining the standards and efficiencies that support the remainder of the season.
The harvest may be over, but the work continues.