Hort News March 2020

HORTNEWS MARCH 2020, ISSUE 9

Changing diets will drive produce demand – Page 8

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Best of the best!

Three vastly different kiwifruit orchards make up the finalists in the inaugural Ahuwhenua Trophy competition for the top horticultural enterprise in the country, Peter Burke reports.

THE FINALISTS were announced at a function at Parliament recently by the Minister for Māori Development, the Nanaia Mahuta and attended by politicians, diplomats, agribusiness and Maori leaders and The three finalists are: Hineora Orchard, Te Kaha 15B Ahu Whenua Trust, a small kiwifruit block located in the Eastern Bay of Plenty township of Te Kaha, 65km east of Ōpōtiki.

Otama Marere at Paengaroa, near the Bay of Plenty town of Te Puke, which grow a mixture of Green, SunGold and organic kiwifruit as well as avocados.

Ngai Tukairangi Trust, which is a

large kiwifruit operation with one of its orchards, based at Matapihi, just a few kilometres from the centre of Tauranga city.

This is the first time in the 87-year history of the competition that the trophy has been open to horticulturalists. Previously it’s been restricted to sheep and beef and dairy farmers.

However, a new trophy, similar to the other two has been manufactured and will be presented to the winner at an awards function in Tauranga at the end of May. The Ahuwhenua Trophy is the most prestigious award for excellence in Māori farming and was inaugurated 87 years ago by the visionary Māori leader,

Sir Apirana Ngata and the Governor General at the time, Lord Bledisloe. The objective is to encourage Māori farmers to improve their land and their overall farming position with an emphasis on sustainability.

On a three-year rotational basis, the trophy is competed for by Māori farmers in the sheep and beef, horticulture and dairy sectors.

Chairman of the Ahuwhenua Trophy management committee, Kingi Smiler, which organises the competition, says it is exciting to see such a positive response from Māori in the horticultural sector. He says the high calibre of all the entrants – in particular the finalists – highlights the contribution that Māori are making in the sector.

Smiler says in the last 20 years, the horticulture sector in New Zealand has become one of the stars of the New

Zealand primary sector economy and it is pleasing to see that Māori have been an integral part of that growth.

“Since the inception of this competition we have seen what our sheep and beef and dairy farmers can do and now it is great to have the opportunity to showcase the excellence of our horticulturalists,” he told Hort News.

Smiler says while the sector is now basking in its success, the industry has been through hard times – especially the kiwifruit sector, which had to deal with PSA which significantly impacted on the industry.

“What we see in our finalists in 2020 is a unique combination of vision, resilience, innovation good governance, smart management and a commitment to their people,” he says. “They should be proud of their achievements and we are proud of them.”

– Finalists, pages 4-5

EUROPEAN EYEOPENER Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

A GROUP of emerging horticultural leaders who have recently returned from an executive study tour in Europe say it’s been eye opening, amazing and life changing in terms of their careers.

The trip was the brainchild of Hamish Gow, Professor of Agribusiness at Massey Business School and Erin Simpson, Capability Development Manager at NZ Apples and Pears. The 19 person group visited a wide range of leading horticultural companies and businesses in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Gow says they had run a similar undergraduate version to Europe and Asia, but he and Simpson decided that there was a need for an ‘executive level’ study tour.

They got the support from hort industry bosses and Agmardt in late November and pulled the trip together in a matter of just a month or so.

“We took a deep breath and said we can do this. So often in this country there is a lot of talk – this was about doing something,” Gow told Hort News.

He says they called for applicants and got a surprisingly large number. The aim was to bring together a diverse group of emerging leaders, from all parts of the value chain, and people with different roles and responsibilities in the sector. Gow says they ranged from scientists, business managers, orchardists, government officials, as well as technical and communications advisors.

“The idea was to expose these

The finalists for this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy with the Maori Development Minister: left to right Ratahi Cross, Ngai Tukairangi, Tauranga; Hon Nania Mahuta; Norman Carter Hineora Orchard, Te Kaha and Homman Tapsell, Otama Marere, Te Puke. PHOTO: JOHN COWPLAND – ALPHAPIX

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HORTNEWS

MARCH 2020

Jobs going abegging HORT Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

“IT IS beyond odd to me why young people are not seeking a career in horticulture.”

That’s the view of Professor Peter Kemp, Head of the School of Agriculture and Environment at Massey University.

He says Massey is doing everything it can to attract students – including having a presence at major field days and making school visits and staging open days.

But Kemp says the numbers of students applying for jobs in the sector is still below the demand from industry, which is desperately looking for qualified staff.

“There has been the major growth in the horticulture industry in NZ over the last five to ten years – especially with apples, kiwifruit, grapes and avocados,” Kemp told

Massey University’s Peter Kemp.

Hort News.

“These are all booming industries with jobs for people that can not only manage the orchards, but

for a range of professionals giving advice on running irrigation systems, working in the packing, sorting and marketing

side. Then there is all that international stuff around marketing and logistics.” he Kemp says there is a

job for everyone across the board in horticulture.

He adds it’s not only the jobs, but the industry is also a very pleasant one to work in.

“It’s a real struggle to see why people aren’t flocking to a place where there are lots of jobs and shortage of people.”

Kemp says Massey has tried to analyse why there is a lack of response to the opportunities.

He believes it comes down to a lack of understanding by school children – and often teachers – about the type of careers available in horticulture. He says most just don’t seem to understand it.

“They just see the apples in the supermarket, but they don’t understand that while it starts with just picking that apples, beyond that it is a very sophisticated business with endless career opportunities,” he says.

Growers peachy about levy SUMMERFRUIT GROWERS have voted to continuing supporting the levy they pay for industry funding for biosecurity, crop protection, export market access and other ‘industry good’ activities.

Industry body Summerfruit NZ says it consulted growers around the country before asking them to vote on renewal of the sector’s Commodity Levy Order late last year, which will expire before the start of the 2020 summerfruit season.

Fruit covered under the summerfruit banner include apricots,

nectarines, peaches and plums and cherries.

Out of the 53% of growers who voted, 84% supported the levy continuation. This provides more than two-thirds of Summerfruit NZ’s funding.

“This outcome is a strong and welcome endorsement of Summerfruit NZ and the work we have done over the last 25 years,” chairman Tim Jones said.

“We have worked very hard to create a profitable and sustainable industry for our growers and this outcome shows that they

appreciate what we’ve done and what they know we can achieve in the future. We couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome.”

Jones says voter turnout was higher than has been recorded before and also higher than most other primary sector groups have achieved over the last couple of years.

“This reflects the level of engagement we have with our growers,” he claimed.

The Minister of Agriculture will now be asked to grant a new Commodity Levy Order, which

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New Zealand has more than 20 primary sector commodity levy orders and each levy order must be renewed every six years.

Summerfruit NZ has not proposed any change to its maximum levy rates – one rate for apricots, nectarines, peaches and plums, and another rate for cherries, which have higher value and lower overall production per hectare than the other summerfruit.

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PROVIDES JOBS AND INCOME FOR MAORI MAORI DEVELOPMENT Minister, Nania Mahuta says horticulture is an important and emerging sector for Maori.

She says it not only provides good returns to Maori Trusts and Incorporations, but also provides career pathways for Maori people and Whanau.

Mahuta quotes a recent statistic suggesting a 300% growth in Maori horticulture in the past 14 years, with more growth predicted.

She says 3800 Maori are Nanaia Mahuta employment in the horticulture sector and make up 17% of the total sector.

“The total growth output of Māori farms is $220m with more room to improve capacity and capability in the sector. In particular it offers excellent opportunities for our whanau in the manual trades and labour who are seeking a better life. We also seen a trend of younger people wanting to come and live and work on their own whenua.”

Mahuta says her role is to ensure that Māori are included in the economic opportunities which create sustainable social outcomes and advance our people.

She says the Ahuwhenua Awards are one of the tools which help Maori people to gain the confidence to showcase their achievements.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says the Ahuwhenua Trophy competition recognised the significant contribution of the Māori agriculture sector.

He says this year’s finalists are part of an emerging group of people who making a positive impact on a multimillion-dollar industry and are among some of the best across the country.

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HORTNEWS

MARCH 2020

Boost to get more people into Hort careers Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

THE BAY of Plenty now has a newly established Education Coordinator to increase the number of locals employed by the horticultural sector to ensure its sustainability.

Traditionally, the Bay of Plenty’s horticultural industries have had limited resources to enhance the perception of the sector as a career option.

This has now changed through additional funding from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), allowing more exposure of the wide range of businesses and opportunities available to those who have a potential career in the horticulture industries.

The Education Coordinator roles are a partnership between the

Di Holloway

Provincial Growth Fund and Horticulture New Zealand with $1.1 million being invested by the PGF in six horticulture career coordinators across New Zealand to increase people capability and fill jobs within the industries.

Di Holloway is the new co-ordinator in the BOP. Before coming into the role, she was a teacher at Te Puke High School and before that a kiwifruit grower.

Horticultural indus-

tries such as kiwifruit are expanding rapidly.

Sales of kiwifruit generated $2.6 billion in 2019 and are expected to grow to $4 billion in 2027. In order to meet demand for this growth, Holloway says she will expand on the industry’s current activities such as Cultivate your Career, Future Leaders and BOP Young Fruit Grower competition.

“One important part of my role is to identify potential students

and link them into horticulture. There are a range of ways to do this, from connecting with employers and educational and training institutions in areas such as the Eastern Bay or the Innovative Horticulture Project at Katikati College.

Another way is to connect with career advisors and students and make them aware of the career opportunities that the horticulture industries offer,” she says.

Holloway says that her work is not restricted to students. She says there are lots of people wanting a change in career or have got a taste of the industry as a seasonal worker.

“It’s great to show the very wide range of opportunities available in the horticulture industries which caters to people’s different interests.”

A PROFITABLE YEAR FOR SEEKA

SEEKA, THE large integrated horticultural and produce company that grows, processes and distributes and markets a range of products – including kiwifruit and avocados – has reported an increase in its net profit for the year ended 31 December 2019.

Chief executive Michael Franks says revenue for the past year was $236m – up 16% on the previous year.

He says Seeka’s financial performance was impacted by the early 2019 long, dry summer – which lowered Hayward kiwifruit yields in both Australia and New Zealand. Hayward volumes were well down on forecast and the previous year’s yields – negatively impacting Seeka’s financial results.

However, Franks says offsetting this was an expansion of its core business with the purchase of Aongatete Coolstores in the Bay of Plenty, which delivered cost efficiencies. He added that the company made good gains on the sale of its Northland orchard assets.

“Operationally, the performance and returns to supplying growers were excellent.”

He says 2019 was a successful year for harvest and handling operations across New Zealand and Australia – including kiwifruit, avocado, kiwiberry, nashi and pears. Franks says, in New Zealand, 33.5m tray equivalents of kiwifruit were packed by Seeka He says Seeka is focused on consolidating operations following the acquisition of the Northland and Aongatete assets, including selling orchard assets to repay debt, while securing supply to Seeka’s core kiwifruit business.

“We are also investigating the sell down and lease back of the Australian kiwifruit orchards, which would release funds for debt reduction and potential expansion, as we continue to look for investment opportunities by acquisition to deliver growth and shareholder value.”

Seeka says it is anticipating improved earnings in 2020 conditional on NZ and Australian crop volumes. The company says it has an increasing volume of Zespri SunGold, with both new growers and new developments, along with a significantly improved SeekaFresh business.

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HORTNEWS

MARCH 2020

Inaugural Ahuwhenua hort finalists ALL OF the three Ahuwhenua Trophy finalists have had remarkable pathways to success with all three having been converted from their original use. Peter Burke reports.

HINEORA ORCHARD HINEORA ORCHARD consists of a 11.5 hectare block on which the Trust run a kiwifruit joint venture operation, a commercial pack-house facility housing the local kiwifruit spray company in which the Trust holds shares., Prior to the Trust’s creation in 1970, the land was largely occupied by different whānau who farmed the block maintaining a subsistence living growing a range of fruit and vegetables for the local community.

Later a citrus orchard was

established, however, given the small land area, this also failed to provide a sustainable economic return for its owners.

By 1998, the trustees recognised that they were asset rich, but lacked sufficient capital to develop their land. Fortunately, at the same time, a group of Eastern Bay of Plenty orchardists were seeking opportunities for development of the new Gold variety of kiwifruit and were prepared to enter into 50/50 joint ventures with Trusts – effectively providing capital

investment to the value of the land contributed for development by landowners.

The Hineora Orchard operation began in 1999 and was the last of six blocks to join the innovative joint venture development with decisions made, and profits shared, on a 50/50 basis with investors for a period of 20 years. Originally intended to end in 2021, the joint venture has managed the current orchard operation through the highs of the returns from the origi-

PHOTO: JOHN COWPLAND – ALPHAPIX.

nal Gold variety, to the lows of the PSA vine disease, which devastated large parts of the kiwifruit industry.

The land, and its

orchard operation, is now due to be returned to 100% ownership by the trust in 2023.

The Trust was also influential in the estab-

lishment of Te Whānaua-Apanui Fruitgrowers Incorporated – a charitable community education outreach group, responsible for upskilling 60 local

OTAMA MARERE OTAMA MARERE is based at Paengaroa near Te Puke, and has gone through a remarkable transition. The land was originally leased to the local golf club on a 60 year lease at two shillings and six pence per acre.

When the lease on the 45 hectare block expired in the 1980s, Otama Marere took back the land and converted the golf course

PHOTO: JOHN COWPLAND – ALPHAPIX.

into an orchard.

Today, the orchard is a thriving diversified block with nearly 12 hectares of Hayward Green kiwifruit, which produces approximately 527,631 gross kg per year. There are also three blocks of SunGold G3 with 2.21 hectares in production.

In 2018, Otama Marere became one of the first Maori owned

workers to level 4 qualifications in Horticulture as well as supporting locals to build to Diploma level courses.

orchards to embrace organic SunGold and converted 3.48 ha of the existing SunGold into an organic kiwifruit block. A further development has taken place and the Trust now has just over 7 hectares in organic Gold While the organic operation is still in development, Otama Marere’s SunGold kiwifruit produces approx-

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NGAI TUKAIRANGI TRUST NGAI TUKAIRANGI Trust is a large kiwifruit operation with one of its orchards, based at Matapihi, just a few kilometres from the centre of Tauranga city. The land is on a peninsular and was originally used for dairy farming. But 40 years ago, a number of family members who owned the dairy farms feared that the land would become incorporated into urban development and decided they’d have a better chance of holding onto it by converting to kiwifruit.

At the start of the major kiwifruit boom in the 1990s, a trust was formed and the land was planted in kiwifruit.

Today, Ngai Tukairangi Trust has expanded and is said to be the largest

Maori kiwifruit grower in the country. All told, it owns 110 hectares of land planted in kiwifruit – including 60 hectares in Hastings which is covered.

Like most kiwifruit enterprises, Ngai Tukairangi was caught up in the PSA crisis, but unlike some growers who waited to see what might happen, they immediately grafted the G3 SunGold variety, which is resistant to PSA. By acting early, it became one of the first orchards to be producing SunGold and gained a commercial advantage.

Today the Trust produces about 1.7 million trays of mainly Gold kiwifruit. They are confident that they can reach the magic two million tray

mark and possibly even higher in the near future.

Ngai Tukairangi Trust has made a point of encouraging whanau involvement and employs about 56 staff. As part of their commitment to sustainability it has a substantial grants programme focused on education ranging from supporting PhD students to skills based training such a truck driving.

PHOTO: JOHN COWPLAND – ALPHAPIX.

Image courtesy of Christchurch City Libraries

OTAMA MARERE imately 418,435 kg per year and this will rise in future years with the newly established organic blocks. Otama Marere has been branded a leader in organic SunGold kiwifruit with companies such as Zespri seeking to bring overseas visitors to the orchard. The conversion has also been an invaluable source for other Maori growers, with the Trust providing education and information to fellow growers and the public alike.

From 2018 to 2020, the Trust planted over two ha in Gem avocados and a full return is expected on these avocados in year five years.

Adding to the diversity of the block, Otama Marere also receives Apiary income and grazing proceeds. The Trust is also in the proceeds of re-planting their forestry block which was milled in 2018 with a mix of Manuka and Kauri trees.

Otama Marere employs up to ten whanau owners at any one time, including the orchard manager Homman Tapsell.

While these staff are employed on various tasks around the orchard, Seeka – a packhouse and orchard services provider – assists with additional labour where needed, particularly around fruit picking.

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FIELD DAYS will be held at all the orchards and anyone is welcome to attend: These are being held on the following dates: Thursday 26 March – Hineora Orchard, Te Kaha 15B Trust, Te Kaha - Thursday 2 April – Otama Marere, Te Puke - Thursday 9 April – Ngai Tukairangi Trust, Tauranga

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HORTNEWS

MARCH 2020

Wow factor from European tour FROM PAGE 1

emerging leaders to selected international markets, key horticultural values chains and innovation ecosystems – such as Signify’s vertical horticulture initiative and Koppert Biological Systems for biological pest control,” Gow explained.

“We had a theme which related to collaborative innovation and capacity building – because this is what the industry needs in NZ.” The trip was not a freebie by any stretch of the imagination. Partic-

ipants had to pay their airfares and travel and a $2000 programme fee.

They also had to cover most of their meals while they were on the trip.

Gow says they also very worked long days.

“Sixteen hour days were more the norm, than exception, and there no weekends off,” he told Hort News. But this helped bring people together as they discussed and reflected on their respective experiences and insights each day on the bus.

“It was life chang-

ing experience for them individually and the daily reflection process ensured that they collectively pulled out the critical insights for the NZ horticultural sector.”

NZ officials, including our ambassador to the Netherlands, Greg Andrews spent two days with the group.

They had a special half-day session in Brussels, where they were briefed on Brexit and progress on NZ’s FTA with the European Union.

They also attended a major trade fair in Berlin

Hamish Gow

– Fruit Logistica – where both Zespri and T&G Global made several major announcements about their future strategies.

Gow says every day the group were exposed to new innovative and exciting horticultural developments and met some of the top thinkers and leaders in Europe.

They visited a wide range of research institutes and

entities such as the World Horti Centre, near Rotterdam; Wageningen University and Research; and the House of Food in western Flanders.

“They also went to Foodvalley, a world class innovative agrifood establishment – often referred to as the ‘silicon valley’ for food – in the Netherlands.

We also visited the port of Zeebrugge where

PARTICIPANTS PICK UP PLENTY ALL THE participants spoken to

by Hort News said they would thoroughly recommend the programme to anyone who applied in the future.

Plant and Food Research scientist, Dr Marian McKenzie says she applied to go on the programme to expand her knowledge of NZ horticultural supply chain and how it fitted into an international context. She says one of highlights for her was the visit to Koppert Biological Systems “Not only did I get a great overview of the European horticultural supply chain and research institutes, but also about my own ability and capability,” she says.

For McKenzie a key learning for

her is that NZ needs to take note of the importance the EU places on sustainability “NZ’s horticultural industry needs to ensure we keep sustainability firmly in our sights,” she told Hort News. “If we lag behind too much (perhaps coasting on our ‘clean, green’ image), we will soon be left behind and exports from NZ to Europe will become less attractive to their consumers.”

Kate Longman, from the Primary ITO, says the trip broadened her understanding and thinking about the specialisation of horticultural production systems, the shortening and increased diversity of supply

chains, and how broad societal issues can be used to engage young people in horticulture.

She says learning about Brexit and NZ’s political relationship with the EU was invaluable.

“I was most impressed how their horticultural industry was engaged in their education systems,” she says Liam O’Sullivan is from a dairy farm in Taranaki, but with a background in rural finance. He says getting a first-hand appreciation of EU horticultural industries, how our NZ exporters like Zespri are operating in the EU and an understanding of NZ EU trade relations was immensely valuable.

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Zespri is building new facilities.”

Gow says a key learning from visiting the various companies and institutes was the positive level of trust and collaboration between them – even competitors. He says the trust was associated with a very clear sense of purpose that they all had and it was something that NZ could learn from.

“As a senior Unilever

“What impressed me most was the collaborative nature by which industry (particularly in the Netherlands), the education sector and government work together to solve the issues that face their horticulture sector,” he told Hort News.

“To me, there is a real opportunity for the NZ agriculture and horticulture sectors to take a leaf out of the EU book and work more collaboratively.”

O’Sullivan says for him the trip highlighted the importance of R&D – in particular for horticulture the development of new cultivars.

Finally, kiwifruit and avocado grower Liarna White says she

employee noted everything should have a purpose – brands, companies, and people,” Gow explained.

“Companies with purpose last longer, brands with purpose grow and people with purpose thrive. For me, that was one of the most important insights of the whole programme.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

applied for the trip out of curiosity to learn about things on the other side of the world, how markets work and how NZ products are promoted and marketed.

“What I realised was that when it comes to horticulture New Zealand is a world leader. We already do a lot of things well, but we don’t tell the world and I think we should,” she told Hort News.

“We need to be thinking about sharing our ideas, creating IPs and bringing that value back into NZ.” White says she would recommend this trip to anyone in the horticultural sector to develop their future career in the industry.

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HORTNEWS

MARCH 2020

Is Red the new Green for Zespri?

KIWIFRUIT MARKETER Zespri says some key markets will soon be able to enjoy red kiwifruit following a recent decision by its board to commercialise a red variety for New Zealand growers.

Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson says the decision is a significant milestone and represents the next step in the company’s mission of providing the world’s leading range of premium branded kiwifruit.

“We’ll be making our new Zespri Red variety available to consumers, with production set to increase in New Zealand over the next couple of years so that we can reach commercial volumes,” Mathieson said.

“Adding a red kiwifruit variety to our range of premium kiwifruit provides Zespri with an opportunity to further compete for market share in areas where kiwifruit is currently under-represented and ultimately grow our industry’s share of the global fruit bowl.”

Zespri Red is the latest kiwifruit variety to come through Zespri’s new varieties breeding programme, run in partnership with Plant & Food Research. “This fruit has a deliciously sweet berry-tinged flavour and vibrant red flesh and we’re thrilled to see such

Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson says some of its key markets will soon be able to enjoy the red kiwifruit variety.

strong demand from our initial limited sales release,” Mathieson said.

“That we can make this variety available is a real credit to the growers who have been involved in our trials, our new varieties breeding programme run in partnership with Plant & Food Research, and the commitment to innovation within Zespri and the wider

kiwifruit industry.”

A slightly smaller and softer-handling kiwifruit than Green and SunGold, Zespri Red’s distinctive red flesh stems from Anthocyanin, a unique and naturally occurring pigment within the fruit that is linked to cardiovascular and cognitive health.

Zespri says New Zealand consumers

and other selected markets can expect to see limited releases of Zespri Red in some supermarkets and fruit retailers again in 2020 and 2021, as production increases towards commercial volumes.

The red variety is initially planned to be launched in Asia given the shorter marine transit times, while trials will

continue in other Zespri production regions in the northern hemisphere to determine the commercial potential of the cultivar in different environments.

“We know there’s a strong demand for a red kiwifruit and we’d love to get this fruit to our consumers sooner, but the fact that kiwifruit depends on nature’s cycles means it’ll take at least two years for the vines here in New Zealand to produce enough fruit to meet initial demand,” Mathieson said.

As part of the commercialisation decision, Zespri’s Board has approved the release of at least 150ha of Red licence in 2020, based on its current assessment of budwood availability.

As with any new variety, growers and investors will need to consider the potential risks of this variety when participating in the commercialisation.

“Further details on the licensing process and performance characteristics for Zespri Red will be made available to Zespri growers in March 2020 when a new varieties information guide and other licensing documentation will be published by Zespri.”

Mathieson says the addition of Zespri Red would assist the kiwifruit company in its ambition of reaching $4.5 billion in global sales by 2025.

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HORTNEWS

MARCH 2020

Changing diets will drive demand Pam Tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

THE AVERAGE Kiwi pantry and dinner table will evolve in the new decade with a focus on fresh, fast, fit and fair, says United Fresh New Zealand’s only pan-produce industry organisation has broken down the top fresh produce trends from around the world and forecasts a bumper year for fruit and veg consumption.

Despite the ongoing narrative about the rise of plant-based protein as a solution to climate change, studies show only 6-7% of Kiwis identify as vegetarian or vegan, the United Fresh report says.

As a nation of devout meat-eaters how will the rise of vegan meat replacements impact our daily habits?

Meat is still important and will still represent an economical source of protein. Studies show that consumers are willing to delve into both plant-based protein and traditional meats with 98% of alternative meat buyers not only buying traditional meats but spending more to purchase higher quality cuts in the process.

And while many of us will maintain

our current meat consumption, expect vegetables to be more than just a supporting act, increasingly forming the central focus of the meal rather than just a side dish.

Customers don’t want to travel far for quality fresh produce and a good range of specialty groceries. Convenience is key, and more products will be available at petrol stations and grocery stores that are not only easy to eat on-the-go, but are also healthy and fresh.

Ready-meal solutions are a huge driver of the NZ consumer.

Supermarkets have taken their lead from delivery services with a huge range of pre-cooked foods on offer.

Expect to see more pre-prepared vegetable offerings as well with products such as ‘zoodles’. Millennials are the ‘want it now’ generation, feeding the popularity of services such as Uber Eats. Takeaway spending will continue to grow faster than supermarket spending.

The ketogenic, or “keto,” diet has seen a surge in popularity as more people turn towards the low-carb way of eating. According to some studies, the global ketogenic diet food market is projected to grow by 5.3% over the

Cauliflower is the current ‘it’ vegetable in many diets.

next five years.

Consumers on the keto bandwagon are seeking out lower carb ingredients and are fuelling a flurry of new flours.

Riding the wave of low-carb diets, the humble cauliflower has become the new ‘it vegetable’. While many homecooks are content to make their own cauli-concoctions, expect to see a significant rise in cauliflower-based products such as gnocchi, rice and pizza bases taking over the supermarket

Gypsum delivers Gold for Kiwi Orchardists

aisles.

We’re often urged to ‘eat a rainbow’ of fruit and vegetables.

Red kiwifruit have already been signalled as a tasty, exciting addition to our fruit bowls but we can also expect a new wave of sprouts, leaves, and other greens and an increase in the popularity of spirulina and butterfly pea, which is a dramatic blue.

Trend forecasters are picking West Africa as the newest source of exciting

flavours to tempt taste buds with its cuisine a melting pot of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences. Think tomatoes, onions and chilli peppers mixed with peanuts, ginger and lemongrass.

The region is also a source of new superfoods like moringa and tamarind, and lesser-known cereal grains sorghum, teff and millet.

Expect more exotic treatments of kiwi favourites like kumara transformed into the key ingredient of a West African peanut stew.

Customers want to have trust in their supplier of fresh food. They love to know that the mandarins in their local supermarket came from Kerikeri or Gisborne and that they are part of a seasonal programme. They want to know that the grower of their carrots is a family business stretching back for 50 years.

Smart grocery operators will utilise social media channels to connect on a personal basis with their communities, introducing the outside world to their staff and systems. Grower organisations will also reach out to an audience increasingly concerned with the provenance and traceability of what goes on their plates.

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For more about Natural Gypsum and soil stabilisation visit www.gypsum.co.nz

MARCH 2020

Doubling olive yields possible - research Nigel Malthus

NEW ZEALAND olive yields can be more than doubled by using fruit tree management techniques instead of more traditional methods.

That’s the findings of a three-year research project commissioned by Olives New Zealand.

The project aimed to increase yield – typically less than 10kg per tree – to 15kg.

But it exceeded expectations, achieving yields of 20-35kg per tree.

The project, supported by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) through its Sustainable Farming Fund, brought together Dr Stuart Tustin, a Plant & Food Research fruit tree physiologist, and Andrew Taylor, an olive industry consultant – both of whom have extensive knowledge in stone, apple and pear culture.

They suggested applying the methods that work for stone fruit crops, including more aggressive pruning, a proactive spraying programme every 21 days, and thinning crops after the fruit has set to mitigate biennial bearing (in which light and heavy crops

HORTNEWS

9

THE GOOD OIL ON OLIVES THE NEW Zealand olive oil market is estimated at 4.5million litres, worth about $35 million.

However, more than 90% of the oil sold here is imported, mainly from Europe.

Consumer research indicates that New Zealanders have a strong preference for local products. However, they are resistant to the pricing of New Zealand olive oil – which typically ranges from $20 to $50 a litre. European oil can sell for less than $10 a litre.

MPI says low levels of productivity in New Zealand olive orchards impacts on price. It believes that by applying the methods used in the research project to increase orchard productivity, New Zealand growers’ market share could potentially reach 20%.

tend to alternate year on year).

Olives New Zealand executive officer Gayle Sheridan says that, contrary to some misconceptions, olive trees thrive in New Zealand. She says they grow more vigorously than in traditional olive growing regions, which often have more arid growing conditions.

“The trees were getting out of control – they grow too well in New Zealand, making harvesting a challenge,” Sheridan said.

“NZ’s olive trees don’t have problems with pests.

Our biggest issue is the trees getting diseases – such as peacock spot, cercospora and anthracnose – due to our often rainy climate, which requires a different approach.”

New Zealand has about 300 productive olive groves, encompassing more than 2000 ha.

The main growing regions are on the east coast from Northland to Canterbury, as well as Kapiti and Central Otago.

The project trialled Tustin and Taylor’s recommended techniques

Plant & Food Research fruit tree physiologist Dr Stuart Tustin examines a grape-like bunch of olives. SUPPLIED

on five olive groves, one in each major growing region. The results, even after the first year, were so dramatic that the growers hosting the trials insisted on extending the methods to their entire groves.

“We had to compare our results to the typical regional averages as we couldn’t persuade our trial growers to keep their control sites,” Sheridan told Hort News.

“Once diseases began to be controlled, we found we were able to grow large clusters of olives

for the first time – like bunches of grapes. In addition, feedback from international visitors has been outstanding, with visitors commenting that they’ve never seen such healthy olive trees,” she added.

“Earlier this year, we were visited by an olive tree specialist from Australia who was writing a book on olive pests and disease. But we couldn’t find any diseased olive trees for her to photograph.”

Olives New Zealand has now received funding

for another three-year project aiming to increase production even further, by another 5kg per tree.

That project will include revised harvesting methods, and it will also trial organic production methods.

“Many small growers don’t have the right equipment to undertake spraying and don’t want to spend the money on it, and others don’t wish to spray so intensively,” Sheridan said.

“Part of our research will include experimenting with a programme

for disease control using organic principles based on apple orchards. This will include the use of organic sprays.”

Steve Penno, director investment programmes at MPI, said it is delighted with the outcomes of the initial project.

“This project has overdelivered on its goals and is already making a huge difference to the olive industry in this country. We look forward to the results from the next three years of research, supported by our SFF Futures fund.”

10

HORTNEWS

MARCH 2020

Grapes of success for young hort winner Tessa Nicholson

IT WAS only 10 years ago that an 18-year-old Invercargill man headed to Lincoln University to study viticulture and oenology.

Within the past decade, Simon Gourley has become a force within the wine industry and, after taking on peers from the wider horticultural community, is now New Zealand’s Young Horticulturist of the Year.

Gourley, who works for Domaine Thomson Wines (Central Otago), decided on a career in viticulture at age 15. With a bent towards science, he was determined to work outdoors and preferably in Central Otago. Having spent many school holidays with his grandparents on their farm in that area, he could think of nowhere better to work.

“I knew I wanted to come back to Central. I didn’t want to grow stonefruit, so viticulture was a good mix of outdoor practical plus getting to do some real science-based work,” he told Hort News.

Gourley’s first job out of university was with Two Paddocks, initially as a summer practical placement. That evolved into five years with the company before the travel bug took over.

“I always thought that a viticulturist needs to know both sides of the industry, and there’s always a real gap between viticulture and winemaking which I wanted to fill.”

After vintages in Australia he returned to Central, but this time Gourley chose to undertake vintages with Central Otago Wine Company (COWCO). It was a chance for him to better understand the synergy between growing the grapes and making the wine.

“I always thought that a viticulturist needs to know both sides of the industry, and there’s always a real gap between viticulture and winemaking which I wanted to fill.”

Early in 2018, Gourley began working for Domaine Thomson, which gave him the chance to work in an organically run property and broaden his knowledge of the organic and biody-

New Zealand’s Young Horticulturist of the Year – Simon Gourley.

namic regimes.

Taking part in the Young Horticulturist contest has put another string to Gourley’s bow, with many hours of research prior to the competition.

Up against competitors from Landscaping NZ, NZ Flower Growers, NZ

Horticulture, NZ Plant Producers and NZ Amenity Horticulture, he not only had to learn about their sectors, but also had to develop an innovative product that would benefit his own industry. The end result was the design of a bud-rubbing tool that would take

HORTNEWS Introducing Hort News, a new national publication serving the needs of our booming horticulture sector.

Distributed with the leading national farming publication Rural News, Hort News will be delivered to all key horticulture regions nationwide.

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away the literally backbreaking aspect of removing the buds and shoots from the vine’s trunk.

“It’s a hand-held tool that enables you to stay upright and avoids you getting cuts and scrapes over your knuckles and forearms. It’s to increase productivity and to eliminate some of the health and safety issues.”

While unable to get a prototype created prior to the competition, Gourley says he will be following through in the next 12 months.

As for the competition itself, he says one of the greatest aspects was learning how other horticultural sectors operate.

“Learning more about what they do on a day to day basis and what their industry entails was a good experience. Everyone had good strengths and weaknesses across all the tasks we did. It was strong competition and I was happy to win.”

In the 15 years the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition has been running, a viticulturist has won the title eight times. And it’s back-to-back wins for Central Otago viticulturists.

Last year, New Zealand’s Young Viticulturist Annabel Bulk, from Felton Road, won the Young Horticulturist title.

HORTNEWS

The secret behind success – Page 6

ISSUE 1

Kiwifruit is king!

WS.CO.NZ WWW.RURALNE

OCTOBER 2018

Peter Burke

peterb@ruralnew

s.co.nz

by consumers to A UNIVERSAL trend er lives is driving live better and healthi Zealand kiwifruit. the demand for New ve Don Mathieexecuti Zespri chief perfectly into fits it kiwifru son says strong demand that scenario, causing

in all its markets. growth has Mathieson says sales

in that space “Kiwifruit is a real king this year: 150 mils and fibre and been strong again with all the vitamin about 120 million ts it has versus lion trays, up from the nutritional elemen on that trend we see Based fruits. trays last year. by the Sun- other A lot of that is driven strong demand.” is good growth group of congold variety, and there He says their target contend to be very health also in Zespri green. but we see that sumers is not region-specific “Looking long term, ers scious, which is consum with across the board. Zespri trend continuing food tends to be great ts, green and both produc in wanting great getting good growth going very with nutrition,” filled China are with that items gold in Asia, News.

Mathieson told Hort

attractive price and sumers at a more d. well. has helped drive deman and they are that Taiwan is doing “It’s going well in Japan “At the same time, conr-one market in now our number-one once again our numbe great well and is seeing in the also are on market per capita Asia this year. We seen the sumpti have and Korea growth in world.” lly come down. have always ers gradua to consum start an duties Europe duty on our ters of Zespri green, “We used to pay 45% been strong suppor but with NZ’s free consumers there exports to Korea, but Mathieson says them the duties be attracted to Suntrade agreement with are now starting to off and we have this is because Sunhave started to come gold. He believes conto is it kiwifru sweeter taste and been able to offer our gold has a slightly RURAL NEWS GROUP

Jack Frost never sleeps Cromwell orchardist d at Simon Webb picture ss sunrise after a sleeple night of frost-fighting.

Overhead sprinklers d are a common metho of preventing frost damage as water on little a s release buds as warmth into the buds ts it freezes, then protec of them from the worst the cold air.

7 – See more page

easy to eat. and continues “France is going well market for us. In to be a high growth a years, it has been the last couple of European region. real performer in the good growth in And we are also seeing s in Spain, the Benall our major market Italy.” ny and elux region, Germa

YOUR HORT NEWS!

first issue of Welcome to the Hort News. is proud Rural News Group national to launch this new the fastpublication to serve sector. growing horticultural op one-st Hort News is a lture read for all horticu industry g coverin s, sector , markets, news, management nery, technology, machi opinion and more.

Rural News Distributed with regions, in key horticulture the only Hort News will be tion independent publica horticulentire the g coverin tural industry. it.

We hope you enjoy Adam Fricker General manager Rural News Group

RTAIN, NTY IS CECO UNCERTAILE VER. BECAUSEFM OP CR AB AR THERE’S G So it you least expect it. ts they can all hit when from FMG. It protec lightning or frost, Hail or windstorm, with Arable Crop cover ted. ard your livelihood they’ve been harves to 12 months after makes sense to safegu growing, and for up within 40 days of your crops while they’re of replanting costs if you have a loss us on 0800 366 466. to 80% still, give us a call We’ll even pay up better Or us. about ting criteria tation and underwri planting. So ask around specific product documen is subject to our us on 0800 366 466. of our product and .co.nz or by calling This is a summary on our website www.fmg which can be found

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HORTNEWS

MARCH 2020

Post quake study reveals hort potential Nigel Malthus

LARGE AREAS of North Canterbury and South Marlborough – affected by the 2016 Kaikoura Earthquakes – offer wide potential for horticulture.

A Plant and Food Research investigation has found that several crops – in particular, apples, grapes, hazelnuts and walnuts – could be grown in pockets throughout the region.

It identified 41,515 ha of land – or about 9% of the total 466,000ha – that would potentially be suitable.

The study was commissioned by the Post Quake Farming (PQF) project, an MPI-funded programme to support the recovery of farming businesses and future land use decisions in the area affected by the quakes.

The study’s co-author, Dr Brent Clothier, of Plant and Food Research, Palmerston North, said it began with a series of community engagement meetings where a list of crops suitable for investigation was agreed upon.

These included apples, kiwifruit, wine grapes, blueberries, avocados, hazelnuts and walnuts. In response to community feedback, the scope has been further expanded to hops and hemp.

A Plant and Food Research investigation has found that several crops – in particular, apples, grapes, hazelnuts and walnuts – could be grown in pockets throughout the region.

Plant & Food Research Science Group Leader Dr Brent Clothier on the Ngai Tahu Farming trial orchard at Balmoral, near Culverden. SUPPLIED

MICRO-CLIMATES ARE IMPORTANT SPECIFIC AREAS have better conditions, which will be more suitable than others.

Understanding that could be very important to securing contracts for higher value/higher margin crops. This autumn, PQF intends to do extension with farmers to help them do climate surveys on their farms.

Clothier said interest was building in horticulture, with a number of different drivers.

“We know what future water quality standards might do to the ability to have intensive dairying close to rivers - whereas that highclass land, that LUC 1, 2 or 3, is likely to be the river flats close to a river.

“You could, without destroying the dairy farm or the sheep and beef farm, put a 5ha orchard there.

Then lo and behold, up and down the valley you might have a collection of 5 10, 20 blocks of 10ha to 25ha each, that would form an industry.”

Clothier adds that horticulture had a lower environmental impact.

“If we look at carbon, there’s no methane in horticulture so there’s going to be no big issue with the future carbon price.

“And the nitrous oxide emissions are very low because you don’t put nitrogen on horticulture crops – otherwise they just grow leaves, and you can’t sell those.”

While it found that apples, grapes and nuts would be suitable on the right land across the region, avocados and kiwifruit generally would not be suitable – while blueberries were only marginally suitable in certain areas.

Clothier said the first part of the study was a “broad brush sweep” across the post-quake region, identifying areas that met four basic criteria: Land Use Capability (LUC) class 1, 2, or 3.

Under the LUC regime, New Zealand has been mapped into eight LUC classes, 1 being the best land and 8 the worst, due to limitations around water, erosion, root zone depth, drainage etc. “We

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feel that horticulture requires land that has few limitations, or limitations that can be easily mitigated,” said Clothier.

The land slope less than 15 degrees (initially 8 degrees but relaxed because there are existing successful vineyard developments in steeper land north of Waipara).

Growing Degree Days (GDD) greater than 800, because of the need for warmth over summer to get a horticultural crop through to maturity.

Frost-Free Period (FFP) of 180 days or more.

In the second stage, the researchers applied specific rules for the specific crops, matched against detailed climatic analysis using NIWA’s Virtual Climate Station Networks.

The study found that the area north of Kaikoura, for example, would be suitable for apples and nut crops. But because of cool summer days it

would not be suitable for outdoor growing of blueberries and only “marginal” for blueberries under protective covers.

The area was also only “moderately suitable” for wine grapes because of slightly too much Autumn rain.

Clothier said the first two stages of the study were a desktop exercise, with findings presented to farmers in the region in a series of meetings in September.

It was now in a third stage of “ground-truthing” the study by visiting farms in the region to see what has been successfully grown over the years – ranging from small commercial growers to “where granny used to have apple trees behind the homestead and they still fruit beautifully.”

Although there was not yet much commercial production in the region, there were instances where even avocados were growing.

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HORTNEWS

MARCH 2020

Tractor plays key part in leek operation Mark Daniel markd@ruralnews.co.nz

GOURMET BLUEBERRIES, established in the Hawkes Bay back in 2000, and have gone on to cover 79ha of the increasingly popular crop, producing over 600 tonnes annually and providing employment for up to 700 workers.

With the blueberry harvest taking place from November to March, the company was looking for a crop to grow in the “off-season” and to also retain its 100 or so key staff members.

The Leek Division, based in Hastings, now covers 14ha and produces 1.2 million leeks annually for export to the Japanese market. A key part of the operation falls to a Deutz Fahr 5105G tractor that arrived on the farm nine months ago and quickly become a firm favourite with the team.

“Up until the Deutz Fahr arrived, we somehow managed with some well past their use by date tractors,” explains maintenance and assets manager for Gourmet Blueberries, Phil Orviss.

“So, its arrival has made life much easier and more productive.”

Set up on row crop wheel and tyre equipment to work between and over the beds, the tractor spends the early part of the season “moulding” soil over the lower part of the plant to promote the white flesh, during the growing season carrying out spraying duties and the latter part powering the all-important harvester.

Powered by a Tier4i FarMotion engine, the gutsy four-cylinder pushes out a useful 102hp and 408Nm torque. Mated to a 40 forward/40 reverse speed transmis-

sion, the tractor also incorporates a clutch-less wet shuttle system for forward and reverse direction changes, a 2-stage (Hi-Lo) powershift and the clever Stop and Go function. This latter feature means that once moving the tractor can be brought to a stop by just pressing the brake pedal, then moving off again once the pedal is released.

The leeks are grown in 1.8metre beds, with two rows in each. Sandy soils are preferred, but the ability to keep moving in poor conditions is paramount, as leeks are only harvested against firm orders. This means that the tractor is in the paddock at harvest time for a minimum of three days each week. However, it gets the job done, courtesy of its 4WD system and 100% locking differential systems.

During harvest, the leek harvester is carried by the 3600kg capacity three-point linkage that works in conjunction with the hydraulic system and has a combined output of up to 95 litres/min.

Typically travelling at 1.5km/h, the picking arm is offset and runs forward down the right side of the tractor, using a twin belt system to “pull” the leeks by the green portion of the plant. From here, it is conveyed to the main part of the harvester where any loose soil is shaken away.

“The operator praises the visibility forwards and down to the picking head and also rearwards to keep an eye on the two sorters on the machine, making sure they are safe at all times,” Orviss notes.

Additionally, he adds that the driver is free from dust, spray residues and of course, protected from inclement weather.

The arrival of the Deutz Fahr 5105G has made life simpler and easier.

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When it comes to Kiwifruit, being born and raised in the clean PSA-free Tasman region environment immediately makes ours a healthy and safe bet.

But that’s only half the story. Our commitment to the most stringent hygiene protocols, not just as part of the KVH Plant Certification Scheme, is second to none in New Zealand.

We grow Bruno seedlings and cutting-grown Bounty rootstocks, and are able to grow grafted plants to order. For flexibility of planting time, we split our production between containers and our field nursery.

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Call Elizabeth Lonie, 027 464 0474. elizabeth@waimeanurseries.co.nz

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