TomatoesNZ Inc

GLAD TO BE BACK

Words by Helen Barnes : General Manager, TomatoesNZ Inc.

Hello, we are glad to be back!

The past few months have certainly been challenging, for you as business owners especially. Thank you for your resilience, and continuing to provide all New Zealanders with your wonderful products. I really appreciated so many of you engaging with us during this time, and thank you to everyone who phoned or emailed Karen and I to tell us how you were getting on, to ask questions, and to explain your challenges so that we could do our best to advocate for you. Please continue to keep in touch, we are always glad to hear from you. Please see our website news page for our April, May and June updates.

Tomato Red Spider Mite

At the end of May, Biosecurity New Zealand (the Ministry for Primary Industries) found two small populations of tomato red spider mite (Tetranychus evansi) on nightshade weeds at two Auckland locations during routine surveillance. Industries potentially affected by this pest include tomatoes, capsicum, potatoes, and arable beet crops. It has a wide range of noncrop hosts. The response partners (industry and MPI) have initiated a response. At this stage the response will consist of a delimiting survey to try and understand how far the mite has spread. A technical working group of mite specialists and entomologists has been assembled and they are developing recommendations on the survey design and timing, and will look at control tools.

We have some information available on the TomatoesNZ website about the mite, including a downloadable “Exotic Pest Fact Sheet” with a description and pictures of the mite. We will keep the website updated as the response progresses. Helen talked about the mite and the response process with Radio NZ in late June.

Energy and Emissions Trading Scheme

With recent sharp rises in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) unit price, there has been a lot of interest in the impact and options for growers who are currently reliant on fossil fuels for heating their boilers. TomatoesNZ has met with several government agencies to raise the profile of our industry, explain our challenges, and explore what government support could be provided for growers impacted by the recent price rises. This includes meeting with NZ Green Investment Finance; the Ministry for Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) Energy Transitions team; The Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA); and MPI Investment Services. We have also had meetings with energy consultants and boiler and biomass suppliers who have offered information and opportunities to work together. We will bring this information together and develop a path forward for the industry. Helen has also been involved with a couple of media enquiries to help get our story heard and call for support, including an article in Energy News on 25 June, on Radio NZ (11 June) and TVNZ (9 July).

Covered crop grower survey

One thing that has become to very clear as we talk about energy options for growers, is there is not a ‘one size that fits all’. The location, heat source, age of equipment and size all play a part, as does a grower’s ability to manage change. Given this, we have recently sent out a survey to all covered crop growers to gather some baseline data on growers’ current heating requirements and capacity. We are also seeking feedback on growers’ interest and capacity to implement alternative options. This will provide valuable information to support our requests for government support, and help shape a project to support growers to transition to low-emission options. Projects we are considering include energy audits; investigative and feasibility studies; various case studies on available options; and providing support from technical consultants.

2020 AGM

The TomatoesNZ 2020 Annual General Meeting will be held at 3pm on 25 September 2020, along with the Horticulture New Zealand and Vegetables NZ AGMs. It is being held at the Pukekohe Indian Centre.