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Reduce the risk of hailstorm damage Supplied
The 2020 Boxing Day hailstorm in Motueka was described by grower Andrew Drummond as the “biggest and most widespread that the area had ever encountered” and “heart-breaking and financially devastating.” Over a period of around 20 to 30 minutes, large hailstones pelted crops and damaged homes and vehicles, leaving a blanket of hail 6 to 7 inches deep on the ground. FMG’s head of client strategy & advice services, Jason Rolfe, says there were almost 350 claims and that over $13.5 million has been paid in relation to the storm. “Claims included damage to apple, pear and kiwifruit crops, with apples making up most of these. We also had claims for damage to buildings and vehicles. “We’re hearing there’s an acknowledgement among growers that severe hailstorms like the one we saw on December 26, are likely going to occur more often. And growers are telling us that they’re looking at ways to minimise their risk from hail damage in the future,” Jason says.
We’re hearing there’s an acknowledgement among growers that severe hailstorms like the one we saw on December 26, are likely going to occur more often One of these ways is installing netting to protect crops and reducing the risk of damage to fruit and trees. “After assessing the damage from the Boxing Day hailstorm, at one orchard we noticed that an area where some apple trees were covered with drape netting, the crop was fine. “We’re also seeing the industry as a whole looking at what went wrong in past storms and how they can improve with stronger designs and structures for netting. We heard from one grower about how a netting structure that allowed for heavy hailstones to fall to the ground from the side of nets, stopped the netting from collapsing,” says Jason. We also know from growers that where there’s the opportunity, dispersing the location of your crops is a good move.
Apple damaged by Boxing Day hailstorm
“This is well-known advice in the horticulture sector and serves growers well, especially when typical hailstorms are short-lived and localised,” Jason adds. Andrew Drummond says while his entire apple crop and half the gold kiwifruit crop were lost in the Boxing Day hailstorm, luckily their hops were located elsewhere and avoided damage.
Online Orchard Irrigation Supplies Call our experts 0800 130 905 www.irrigationexpress.co.nz The ORCHARDIST : MAY 2021 45
