Vegetables NZ Inc

BEING

RESILIENT

Words by Antony Heywood : General Manager, Vegetables New Zealand Inc.

The new year can bring many things. A fresh start and a new beginning, or at least a time to stop and take stock of your achievements.

It can also bring a hail storm or weather event, which will put you back several years. The hail event in Motueka on Boxing Day was such event. It has put growers back by at least two years, while they rebuild their equity and plant health. This will test their resilience.

Resilience is a topic Vegetables NZ is embedding into its strategy and workplan for the next five years. The emphasis will be on grower resilience in the face of environmental, social, financial and cultural challenges. VNZI has a number of themes it will champion in 2021: 1 NZGAP–EMS add-on and the delivery of Farm

Environment Plans. Workshops are planned for

Northland, Pukekohe, Gisborne and Nelson in 2021. 2 Agrichemical registrations and reassessments. The grower agrichemical toolbox is limited and shrinking.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) will be reassessing a lot of old chemistry this year with the potential that it will be withdrawn from use in three years’ time. VNZI will attend the reassessment hearings to ensure the EPA understands growers’ position and chemical use under best practice. 3 Freshwater use and management, clean waterways and leaching of nitrogen into waterways. Under the

National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM), the Ministry for the Environment will dictate that all farms greater than 5ha will need a Farm

Environment Plan by 2025. These plans will need to reflect limits on nitrogen use in particular catchments.

Regional and district councils will enforce this policy under various plan changes. It is likely that no two councils will have the same plan or limits on nitrogen. VNZI has research and evidence to support growers to meet their nitrogen limits, as well as to support growers to develop a Farm Environment Plan.

2021’s squash harvest is underway in the Hawke’s Bay

4 How data can benefit growers and the industry. Data can validate actions and tell a story about what good practice looks like. VNZI realises this is a resource it needs to build so that the public and government of

New Zealand can say with certainty that vegetable growing is good and needs to thrive. 5 What is happening in your region? VNZI is keen to listen to what you have to say. This year, the VNZI

Board will get to the regions to meet with growers. The above themes are not the only champions but are the key pillars in our strategy for the next five years. If you would like to comment on any of the above points, or find out more, please contact me on 021 998 038 or email antony.heywood@hortnz.co.nz.