YOUR INDUSTRY
A mobile platform has been developed by T&G to harvest apples grown on a 2D system at their Ebbett Orchard, Moteo in Hawke’s Bay
Die cast for this season: prepare for next The horticulture industry needs to start planning for next season to avoid a repeat of the disaster that is unfolding on Hawke’s Bay apple orchards, NZ Apples and Pears Chief Executive Alan Pollard believes. By Rose Mannering Apples are being left on the trees, as a diminished labour force is unable to keep up with the march of apple maturity. A number of blocks have been sacrificed, including Royal Gala. The harvest is unfolding exactly as predicted when the government announced only 2,000 Recognised Seasonal Employment (RSE) workers would be able to enter New Zealand for the harvest. “It is sad that a catastrophe is needed to prove our predictions right,” Alan says. Instead of multiple picks to ensure top quality, smaller growers are just doing one pick, and just leaving it for the packhouse to sort. “We expect somewhere between 15% and 20% of the crop may not be harvested, with losses between $60 million and $100 million just on volume,” he says. 26
The ORCHARDIST : APRIL 2021
“We have increasing concerns for grower mental health and well-being.” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other key Ministers were in Hawke’s Bay in early March for the Five Leaders Forum. They visited Taylor Corporation’s impressive innovation in the packing shed. But Alan says there is no immediate transformational technology on the orchard, with automated pickers still 10 to 15 years away. New 2D growing systems are ready for this new technology but it is not here yet. “We cannot sustain another season like this – we need to be thinking about that now. It is critical that we reconsider how a sizeable Pacific workforce can come back to New Zealand for next season. This should include a programme to create a vaccinated mobile Pacific workforce.”
