Hort News 13 July 2021

HORTNEWS JULY 2021, ISSUE 17

Rockit launches in the Gisborne region.

– Page 10

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No workers, no growth!

Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

ZESPRI CHIEF executive Dan Mathieson says unless the kiwifruit industry gets more people to work in the sector, it may have to look at slowing down its speed of growth.

Mathieson told Hort News the biggest challenge for the industry is getting a good and consistent supply of people coming through the sector.

Those who can help pick the fruit – as well as prepare the orchards for the next season’s crop. He adds the sector also want people to work through the post-harvest facilities to ensure that fruit is being managed well, to get it to market in the best condition.

Mathieson says New Zealanders currently make up about 55% of the kiwifruit sector’s workforce, while backpackers make up about 25% and RSE workers around 15%.

“We have a good mix, but we are certainly looking for more to supplement the migrant workers and the backpackers,” he told Hort News.

“Normally, we would have about 40,000 backpackers in NZ, but that number is down to about 7,000. More of those are going home because of continued border restrictions – so we need more people to replace them.”

Mathieson says labour shortages are right across the primary sector, all of

which are working with the Government to look at more options to resolve the workforce problem.

“Covid is an incredibly challenging situation and I think what we need to see is more Kiwis getting vaccinated,” he adds. “Once we have got the NZ population safe though vaccination, we will be looking at the relationship with the Pacific Islands to increase the amount of RSEs we need to help in the kiwifruit industry.

“We know that in the islands there is some resistance at the moment, until there are good levels of vaccination to allow many of their people to come into NZ.” However, Mathieson hopes that when those vaccines are rolled out in the Pacific Islands and in NZ, the situation will change and we see a return of both the migrant workers groups and also the backpackers.

A BIG BUZZ Bumble bees’ contribution to the horticultural industry is huge and they are becoming increasingly popular with orchardists and commercial growers for their work as pollinators. Biobees is a Hastings based company which breeds and sells bumble beehives to commercial growers in the hort sector. It says the bumble bee has become popular because they work extremely well with crops that are under some form of cover – be it plastic or glass – including kiwifruit, blueberries, avocados, summerfruit and tomatoes.

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2021

Sweet taste of success for local pineapple grower sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

WHEN OWEN Schafli and his family – wife Linda and son Colin – decided to grow pineapples in Parua Bay, Northland 10 years ago, people were laughing.

“They said to me, ‘no one has ever grown pineapples here before’, and basically wrote me off,” Owen Schafli told Hort News.

Today, he is having the last laugh. In summer, the family company Geneva Farms peak harvests 350 Queen variety pineapples a day, on what Schafli believes is New Zealand’s only commercial pineapple plantation. During the cooler winter months, the daily harvest drops to around 50.

He says, after trialling

“We have now been growing them and expanding our commercial crop for seven years.” pineapples for two years, they realised that they could tolerate the climate.

“That’s when we put in our first section of pineapples. We have now been growing them and expanding our commercial crop for seven years.

We will only break even in two years’ time.”

The difference between Schafli’s pineapples and those of the larger overseas growers is that when the commercial growers’ pineapples reach a certain size they

Northland grower Owen Schafli believes he has New Zealand’s only commercial pineapple plantation.

are sprayed with the hormone Ethephon, which induces them to flower over a six-week period

and therefore all ripen at the same time.

“Mine are not sprayed, so I have them fruiting

“ “

Sudesh Kissun

MANUFACTURED BY THE

WRANGLER

throughout the year,” he explains.

Schafli’s farm has 22,000 plants – mostly the Queen variety, a small gourmet fruit that is sweet and deep golden yellow with an edible core. The Cayenne variety is mostly imported into NZ. The fruit is sold at the local farmers market and sell very well. Schafli has clients who buy one of two pineapples from him every week.

They are sold between $5 and $10 each, depending on size, or two for $15.

He told Hort News the Northland weather is good for pineapple growing but a prolonged drought can affect fruit quality.

Last year’s crippling dry, between November 2020 and January this year, did some damage to his crop.

“They can take a bit of drought but during the summer period they need a bit of rain.”

A South African immigrant, Schafli moved to New Zealand with his family in 2008. After two years in Hamilton, they bought a 6.8ha property at Whangarei Heads to grow bananas and pineapples.

He says growing pineapples isn’t for the fainthearted.

“The pineapples are hand planted and it is hard work but it keeps me fit and healthy. And it’s not a produce that will

make you rich quickly.”

The pineapples are spray free, they all flower at once and take six weeks to mature. Peak harvesting season is around April and May. It’s taken seven years for Owen and Linda Schafli to build up numbers of their Queen pineapples from suckers.

Pineapples will grow from suckers that sprout from the side of a mature plant.

While bananas and pineapples are flourishing, Schafli has also been experimenting with other tropicals – such as dragon fruit, papaya, sugarcane and coffee.

Bananas have been their cash crop, but they don’t have enough plantable land for them to be commercially viable.

“We decided to focus on pineapples once we knew they consistently fruited well here. They make the best economic use of our small sloping property.”

Schafli sees a fastgrowing demand for locally grown tropical fruits.

“We’re investigating supplying pineapples to local restaurants and cafes, and later may look at other outlets around the country,” he told Hort News. “People are really enthusiastic about exploring new food options we can grow here in Northland, and we encourage anyone to experiment at home.”

HORTNEWS

JULY 2021

3

Brilliance of the humble bumble Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

THE LIFE of a bumble bee may be relatively short in comparison to a honey bee, but its contribution to the horticultural industry is huge.

Bumble bees are becoming increasingly popular with orchardists and commercial growers for their work as pollinators. Mike Sim works for Biobees, a Hastings based company which breeds and sells bumble bee hives to commercial growers in the hort sector and to some home gardeners.

He says the bumble bee has become popular because they work extremely well with crops that are under some form of cover – be it plastic or glass – as an insurance policy against poor weather during flowering in outdoor crops. Examples include kiwifruit,

blueberries, avocados, summerfruit and tomatoes.

“Probably every fresh tomato you buy in the supermarket has been pollinated by a bumble bee,” Sims told Hort News.

He says bumble bees in the wild live in a small nest in the ground, as opposed to a large hive like honey bees. It should be noted that both have hives, but the bumble bee hive is smaller and much less orderly.

Bumble bees have a different method for homing back to their nest and don’t get lost under crop covers like honey bees can. Sim says they also tend to be more docile – although they can sting. However, in terms of pollination, bumble bees are what is called ‘buzz pollinators’.

Sims says this means they tend to make better contact with important parts

Biobees Mike Sim says almost every fresh tomato bought in the supermarket has been pollinated by a bumble bee.

of a flower and affect more cross pollination.

“They grab a hold of or bite the flower and uncouple their wings to use their really strong flight muscles to vibrate

and shake the pollen free,” he explains.

“There are a number of crops that are adapted to buzz pollinators and they need this vibration to release the pollen.

Tomatoes and blueberries are examples where the pollen isn’t freely available in the flower, it is hidden up a tube and it needs vibration to shake it free. A honey bee can’t

always get down these flower tubes as they may be too small for them.”

The bumble bee has lessened much of manual labour that was once used to pollinate tomato crops

that were grown in glasshouses. Sim says all sorts of equipment – such as vibrating machines – were once used to pollinate tomato flowers.

It was this cost that prompted a veterinarian in Belgium in the late 1980s to devise a system for ‘domesticating’ the bumble bee. That is what Sim’s company is now doing – breeding bumble bees in what could described a factory type environment and supplying hives to horticulturalists and gardeners.

The hives are much smaller than those for a honey bee and the ones supplied by Biobees are typically about the size of two stacked shoe boxes.

Each contains between 80 to 200 bumble bees – depending on what the individual wants –and may swell up to 400 bees at its peak. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

WORKS HARD AND FAST! the days get longer and the BUMBLE BEES live a much temperature rises. This is shorter life than honey bees, replicated in the hives sold by but they live life in the fast lane Biobees. and are vigorous foragers.

Sim says the production Sim says bumble bee hives are less structured and there is less social division among the bees, meaning they all do a range of jobs. The foraging bees tend to be larger or older.

Unlike the honey bee, the bumble bee produces only a small amount of honey because they don’t survive the winter.

“The The short-lived bumble bee lives life in workers may the fast lane and is a vigorous forager. only live for a month or two months as an adult, so their life is quite frenetic,” Sim explains.

“The queens probably live for a round a year or more and their life may end in a very painful way being stung to death by her own daughters. So, at the end of the hive lifecycle, things starts to collapse a bit and the hive will die out in the winter.”

In the wild, the new season queens will fly away and make a nest in the ground and hibernate for the winter.

They then remerge and start a new hive in the spring, when

of bumble bee hives for sale is not an industry that is well known and the value of the bumble bees is also not widely appreciated.

“On the issues of pollination, Plant & Food Research has been saying than an individual bumble bee is worth about 50 honey bees in an avocado or kiwifruit crop,” he told Hort News.

“A hive of 200 sounds quite small. But if you multiply that by 50 you have got 10,000 – so it is starting to be roughly half the pollination capability of a honey bee hive at the same time of the year.”

Sim adds that a lot of research is starting to emerge that shows using bumble bees with honey bees is very effective. This is because the competition can actually change the behaviours of honey bees and make their visitation rate to flowers faster – so they are visiting more flowers per minute than when bumble bees aren’t present.

“Bumble bees can also facilitate more cross pollination from the honeybees, so bees going from one variety to another, and this is very important for certain cherry varieties or avocado,” he says.

While the horticulture sector may be facing a labour shortage where workers need to go hard and fast, the humble bumble bee sets an example of a work ethic that’s hard to beat.

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2021

Sector needs to tackle challenges Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

SUMMERFRUIT NZ’s immediate past president Tim Jones says the sector needs to own up to the fact that it’s built businesses based on migrant labour.

Jones, who is chief executive of 45 South – based in Central Otago and one of the largest cherry growing operations in NZ – says the huge expansion of the industry has taken place

during the last three years. He reckons the issue of labour, along with logistics, was always on the agenda. However, he says Covid-19 has brought this forward and believes these are the two major headwinds the sector is facing.

“It’s the ability to attract enough people to do the work and it’s not just seasonal workers I am talking about,” Jones told Hort News. “It’s actually the key expertise that’s required to grow

the right piece of fruit for a start – because if we haven’t got that, we have nothing.

“We have got potentially 1,000ha of cherries in Central Otago and we need people to pick and pack them. In the Covid environment, with the borders closed, that is very challenging,” he adds.

“As an industry it’s about how can we attract the youth to come and be horticulturalists and where are the cohorts

ATTRACTING PEOPLE TIM JONES says attracting young people to make a career in horticulture has proven difficult.

He says the recruitment process needs to start in the schools but believes part of the problem is the negative message that is widely spread in the community.

“The publicity is all about the shortage of pickers, and there is a career, but there are young guys working in our packhouse who talk a completely different language to me,” Jones told Hort News.

“They are sitting there running computers and machines which are taking photographs of cherries and are doing the work that people used to do,” he adds. “That is the

investment that is coming into packhouses and the opportunity is there for people.”

Jones says automation says needs to be driven into the cherry industry and in packhouses is the obvious place for it.

He says modern growing systems will also lead to automation in the orchard.

“I often ask myself, will we pick cherries [using] robots rather than people as we currently do?

Probably not in my lifetime, but it will happen one day and it is happening with other crops.”

Jones says automation is vital for the industry to reduce its reliance on labour.

Former Summerfruit NZ chair Tim Jones says attracting young people to make a career in horticulture has proven difficult.

going to come from in the future if this Covid thing goes on longer?”

Jones says all growers have struggled in the past couple of seasons employing more kiwis and getting the productivity out of them. He says they (young kiwis) do think differently to what earlier generations did and his company is now at the stage of planning for a fruit season that has normally been a seven-

day-a-week operation.

“But we are now planning on working five or six days a week this season because these young kiwis are here not just to earn some money, but it’s their holidays as well,” Jones explains.

“So, we are trying to provide an environment where they not only can come and earn some money to tide them over to next year, but also allows them to have

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a holiday as well. That’s got its challenges because it means we will probably have to employ more people to do the work, but it’s about making it attractive enough for them to come for a start.”

Jones says money is not necessarily the issue, but he notes that seasonal work can be financially rewarding. He says what the industry now needs to do is pay more attention to the pastoral care

of Kiwi workers in the same way that is done for RSE workers. He says this may include having to provide accommodation.

“We have got young kids, who are possibly away from home for the first time, living in different styles of accommodation. We have got to be thinking about homestays for those kids and taking them to the doctor if they are sick, which is what we do for RSEs.”

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5

Robots show their stuff at Mystery Creek Sudesh Kissun sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

THREE HIGH-TECH horticultural robots made their appearance at this year’s National Fieldays at Mystery Creek.

They included a robotic asparagus harvester, an autonomous grape vine pruner and a kiwifruit orchard survey robot.

The robots are collaborative projects involving students and academics from the University of Waikato’s (UoW) School of Engineering and the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, in partnership with other academic institutions and businesses.

“Agritech is very important to solving problems,” says Dr Shen Hin Lim, senior lecturer in mechatronics and mechanical engineering at UoW and chair of NZ Robotics Automation and

Sensing (NZRAS).

“New Zealand is considered a world leader in agricultural innovation, and I believe that we can demonstrate that and have an edge using ag robots,” he told Hort News.

Ag robots support the horticulture sector in a number of ways, automating some time-consuming tasks, enabling people to get on with other work and offering a sustainable solution to labour shortages.

Technology also helps the agricultural industry to maintain high productivity, ensure safe, highquality food products and minimise its environmental footprint.

Lim leads the team who developed an asparagus harvester which was on display at the Innovation Hub. The fully operational prototype was developed with the support of Callaghan Innova-

Nick Pickering with the Orchard Survey Robot funded by Zespri.

tion, in collaboration with Robotics Plus Limited.

The asparagus harvester has a high-tech vision system that detects the asparagus spears, computes their base location, and if it detects that the spear is tall enough

to harvest, uses a robotic arm to cut it as the robot passes over.

Another innovative robot is the MaaraTech Grape Vine Pruner, a transdisciplinary codesign project funded by the Ministry of Business,

Innovation & Employment (MBIE), including researchers from UoW, Robotics Plus, the University of Auckland, the University of Canterbury, Lincoln Agritech, University of Otago and Plant & Food Research.

Auckland University holds the contract for the five-year MaaraTech project, and UoW is subcontracted to focus on the hardware development and physical aspects of creating the technology.

Dr Benjamin McGuinness, a research and teaching fellow in mechanical engineering at UoW, says the robot’s cutting blade - dubbed “the barracuda” - has evolved over many iterations and modifications of commercial secateurs.

Its innovative design helps ensure wires are not cut by mistake.

“The design we’ve come up with has a series of slots in the anvil of the bottom blade. The idea is, the wire will fall into the slots but the cane is too big to fit in there, so the blade will cut the cane,” says McGuinness.

The Orchard Survey Robot was funded by Zespri to advance innova-

tion and research in the kiwifruit industry, to benefit growers.

It uses a variety of sensors to autonomously navigate around the orchard to capture information that can provide actionable insights to growers, says Nick Pickering, a systems engineering lecturer at UoW, who is leading the project.

It can be programmed to capture a wide range of data through the life cycle of kiwifruit growing.

“We’ll be initiating the research later in the year starting with flower counting and canopy cover, with plans to expand the collaboration into the areas of pest and disease detection, fruit estimation and plant structure,” says Pickering.

“The information from the robot will be used to support growers to make complex decisions to optimise fruit quality and quantity.”

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JULY 2021

New boss sets priorities Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

LABOUR ISSUES will be the key focus for Summerfruit NZ’s new chief executive Kate Hellstrom during the coming 12 months.

She told Hort News this is the major issue facing the sector and it’s one that is not going to back to where it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. Hellstrom says growers want certainty about the availability of labour so they can plan for the coming season.

“The world is going to be a bit different in terms of labour supply and the need for growers to attract and retain labour won’t go away,” she explains. “The other things coming are climate change settings, water reforms and other government policy settings.”

She says for growers to

Summerfruit NZ’s new chief executive Kate Hellstrom says labour issues will be the key focus for her during the coming 12 months.

be successful the industry will have to navigate its way through all this.

Hellstrom says what’s impressed her in the past year is all the collaborative work that has taken place right across the horticulture sector, result-

ing in it having a unified voice. She says they were able to go to government officials and ministers to advocate and explain the challenges that were facing the sector.

“I want to build on that collaboration and the

good results it’s produced, because it’s not just horticulture which is facing these challenges – it’s the whole primary sector,” Hellstrom told Hort News.

“The challenge of attracting and retaining labour is defining our

point of difference. What can we offer employees and workers in terms of incentives and the culture experience that might make them stay and come back next year?”

She says the problems of attracting young people

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to the industry is just a sign of society evolving as it always has.

She believes the younger generation have different expectations in terms of the experience they expect and conditions of work when they are working on a seasonal basis.

“The other opportunity out of all of this is how we promote ourselves,” Hellstrom adds.

“It’s a great sector to work in and there many opportunities.

“It’s not just picking fruit, there are lots of growth opportunities for people to make a career – including going into management.”

Besides dealing with the labour issues facing the sector, Hellstrom’s other priority is getting to know people in the industry. She says getting out on orchards and talking to growers and under-

standing their concerns is important in her early days in the job.

A month ago, Hellstrom attended her first Summerfruit NZ conference and had a chance to get a sense of where growers are at.

“I think people are tired and there is a weariness from the season,” she says. “But they are also really energised by having the opportunity see each other face-toface – because there was no conference last year due to Covid.”

She says what really came through was the passion people have for their work, despite the challenges.

“They are passionate about what they produce and being part of the food producing industry that feeds and NZ and the world, and they just want to get on and produce quality fruit.”

HORTNEWS

New apple ‘dazzles’ Chinese consumers – Page 4

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E 11 JULY 2020, ISSU

Sudesh Kissun

lnews.co.nz sudeshk@rura

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JULY 2021

Scheme to help workers over the winter

Apple industry employers are being encouraged to draw on funding available through MSD to keep their workers employed during the winter season.

EMPLOYERS IN the apple industry are being encouraged to draw on funding available through MSD (Ministry of Social Development) to keep their workers employed during the winter season.

For most seasonal workers, once the harvest period is over, their employment comes to

the number of new people entering the industry,” Simpson says Erin. “It’s also a brilliant pathway for many people who wish to study further and increase their skills.”

The programme also supports people in EIT trainee programmes and although many courses are currently fees-free,

– PAUL SUTHERLAND PHOTOGRAPHY

“The Mana in Mahi programme supports anyone who has been working seasonally and also is a way of keeping Kiwis in work.”

an abrupt end. However, industry body NZ Apples and Pears says the MSD ‘Mana in Mahi’ (Strength in Work) funding programme can used by employers to retain staff – on a full or parttime basis – utilising them for pruning, clean-up and land development for new plantings.

“The Mana in Mahi programme supports anyone who has been working seasonally and also is a way of keeping Kiwis in work,” says NZ Apples and Pears capability manager Erin Simpson.

Employers can receive up to $16,000 for employees in the first year, and up to $8,000 in the second year. Workers can receive up to $6,000 over 24 months, plus they are able to access up to $2,000 for additional education support.

For a business owner, the subsidy provides an incentive to retain staff.

Funding is available yearround and is able to be accessed by a wide range of people, including those who have previously been out of work.

“Initiatives like the Mana in Mahi are vital to not only keep people in work, but to also increase

Mana in Mahi has an additional subsidy workers can get to help them meet their living costs.

Ross Howard from Freshmax in Hawke’s Bay has an employee in the Mana in Mahi scheme. He says accessing the scheme’s support was an “easy process and everything went very smoothly”.

Howard explains that his worker, who is based in the orchard, originally came via a land based training programme.

“Through the Mana in Mahi scheme, he was able to stay on and is employed full time by us now,” he adds.

“The incentives we receive as an employer certainly helped drive the decision to retain him so it doesn’t fall solely on the business. It’s definitely worth doing.”

Meanwhile, NZ Apples and Pears is keen to hear from employers who are interested in accessing this funding and will connect them with an appropriate MSD work broker.

As well as funding for employers and employees, there are subsidies available for support workers, pastoral care, pre-training and ongoing training.

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2021

Northland grower loves going bananas Sudesh Kissun sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

NORTHLAND BANANA grower Hugh Rose enjoys every minute of planting and promoting the tropical fruit to other farmers.

On his 23ha farm at Maungatapere, about 30km west of Whangarei, Rose has 2ha with over 1,000 banana plants of 30 varieties from around the world.

A plantation (Tallyman’s Bananas) owner, consultant and stem seller, he is also the president of Tropical Fruit Growers of New Zealand, an organisation representing the interest of 150 growers producing small fruits including pineapple, mangoes, sugarcane and coffee beans.

The organisation has been helping potential banana farmers get off the ground by supplying free suckers and stems.

Commercial banana growing remains a fledgling industry in New Zealand, but Rose says it’s easy and could be a good side income for dairy farmers and is also environment friendly.

“Dairy farmers could do well to plant a spare hectare or two in bananas because they produce 13 tonnes of dry matter

Hugh Rose grows more than 30 varieties of bananas on his Northland farm.

per hectare – the same amount of animal food as a good rye grass and

clover pasture,” he told Hort News.

“Cows love all parts of

the banana, and because the plants are heavy nutrient feeders they’re

good at catching nitrates and phosphates before it leaches into streams.”

Rose says he loves promoting the banana industry and helping other farmers start their own plantations.

“I haven’t made a lot of money growing bananas, but I have had a lot of fun making it happen,” he says.

“But we have established an industry and it is here to stay.”

Rose says good banana plantations can be found between Matakana and the Far North and those farms could be 50-60ha in total.

“If we assume they are producing 10kg bunches and 1,000 clumps/ha then the total production will be 600,000-700,000kg of fruit.

“This is a very small

amount compared to what NZ consumes and almost all fruit is sold locally,” he explains.

“We have four to six regular sellers of bananas at the Whangarei farmers’ market who are sold out most Saturdays before 8am.”

Kiwis love the yellow fruit, chomping through 18kg per capita a year— about $140 million worth that puts NZ at top of the global list for banana consumption.

Rose sells most of his bananas either directly to cafes and restaurants or at the farmgate.

He also has a steady stream of vegan New Zealanders as well as those of Pacific and Asian origin inquiring about fruit, flowers, leaves and stems.

Most commercial

NZ bananas are sold through local markets and specialty fruit stores and not enough volume is being produced to involve wholesalers and supermarkets.

Rose believes the economics of banana growing compare very favourably with most other land uses.

At 1,500 stems a hectare, two bunches of fruit a stem each year, at least 10 hands a bunch and $5 retail a hand in local growers’ markets, the returns are attractive.

When combined with using dairy effluent for watering, their antileaching properties for nitrogen and phosphorus and as fall-back supplementary feed for cattle, the humble banana goes a long way.

HORTNEWS

JULY 2021

Rose’s advice IF YOU are looking for banana stems either for a small-scale holding or a larger plantation, talk to us - we will either supply the stems directly from our own plantation or another grower, or put you in touch with an alternative supplier.

If you are keen to establish a plantation of your own, talk to us.

We have helped a number of plantation owners get under way in Northland. Depending on the size of your order, there may or may not be a charge for our advice.

If you’ve got some banana

plants that you think are out of control or looking poorly, we can help.

If you’ve bought or inherited a banana plantation (this is quite common!) and don’t know how to manage the plants, talk to us.

Even if you’re not sure whether you want to keep them, please don’t destroy the plants, because they have value.

To contact Hugh Rose, his website is tallymanbananas.nz and you can find Tallyman Bananas and Tropical Fruit Growers of NZ on Facebook.

BANANA BUG HUGH ROSE caught the banana bug in 2015, while he was living in Parua Bay, about 30km east of Whangarei.

One morning he saw another farmer, Owen Schafli taking bananas to a customer and became interested.

“Like many people in Northland, we had grown bananas with moderate success for a long time, producing fruit that were tasty but small,” he explains.

“In 2015, we met Owen Schafli a tropical plant guru. Owen hails from South Africa, and no-one told him that he couldn’t grow bananas in New Zealand, so he set about doing what he does best.

“Inspired and educated by Owen, we caught the ‘banana bug’ ourselves and started our first plantation.”

Rose’s plantation has both the normal and dwarf varieties of the popular Cavendish variety, Lady finger and Pacific Island varieties like Misi Luki, Goldfinger and Hua Moa, among others.

Hugh Rose’s banana plantation, near Whangarei, is a mix of volcanic, clay and rocky outcrops divided into rooms by totara trees.

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2021

The company currently packs over 100 million apples per year from its new headquarters and state-of-the-art packhouse in Hastings.

Rockit launches in Gisborne region APPLE COMPANY Rockit (RGL) is expanding into Gisborne, planting 20 hectares of its miniature apple variety and creating at least 20 jobs.

The move north of its Hawke’s Bay base comes amid a growth period for the company, which currently packs over 100 million apples per year from its new headquarters and state-of-the-art packhouse in Hastings.

With a need to manage the risk associated with having most of its orchards in one region, RGL went hunting for fertile new ground to break, finding it in Tairāwhiti.

Chris Hurrey, Rockit

Management Services (RMS) general manager, says 40,000 trees are ready to go in the ground this winter, taking up 20 hectares just minutes from Gisborne’s city centre.

“In New Zealand, we’re prone to adverse weather events and environmental factors,” he explains. “It’s important to diversify our crop and spread our risk across several sites.”

Hurrey says due to the slight difference in climate, establishing an orchard in Gisborne also allows the company to provide early fruit to export markets.

However, the new

20ha orchard is just the beginning. The company has signed up a further 45ha where the apples will be planted this year, to be managed by independent growers.

“We’ve been delighted with the support we have received from the region’s growers.”

Hurrey says growing conditions in the region are perfect for Rockit.

“Each growing area has different characteristics, but we’re expecting ripe, sweet fruit with good colour. Gisborne is a proven horticultural region – one we’re excited to be a part of.”

The company’s newest

orchard will create a raft of senior and mid-level roles, as well as a large number of seasonal roles.

“We’re in the early stages of establishing a management team, but we’ll also need orchard workers. This will open up a lot of opportunities for seasonal labour as well as full-time staff,” Hurrey adds.

He says that finding a skilled orchard manager is top priority.

The Gisborne fruit will be packed at Te Ipu, Rockit’s 21,000m² packhouse and coolstore.

“But if we get enough volume, we may look at establishing a second

packhouse in Gisborne or Wairoa.”

By 2025, Rockit expects to be picking and packing well over 400 million apples annually.

Chief executive Mark O’Donnell says developing new orchards not just in New Zealand, but around the globe, will continue, as demand for Rockit apples continues to swell.

Rockit Management Services general manager Chris Hurrey.

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2021

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Move from cutting hair to pruning apples proves fruitful SAFFRON WILSON thought she wanted to be a hairdresser, but soon realised that working outdoors was her passion.

Now the 22-yearold is blazing a trail for women in orchards.

Wilson is enrolled in EIT’s Free Horticulture Managed Apprenticeship Programme [Level 3 – 4] and has been working at the Mr Apple Brookfields Orchard, near Hastings, since January.

She is currently studying for a NZ Certificate in Primary Industry Operational Skills [Level 3], which she started in May. Wilson will go on to study for her NZ Certificate in Horticulture (Fruit Production) [Level 3] and then Level 4 after that.

The programme, which runs for three years, requires students to attend lectures for twenty days each year with the rest of their learning taking place in-work.

Wilson says she is enjoying the EIT Programme, which fits in well with her work in the orchard, and is pleased that young women like her are entering the industry.

“When I came into this industry people look at me sideways when I said I was in the orchard industry because there’s not many females involved,” she says. “However, when I started the EIT programme, I was surprised

“When I started the EIT programme, I was surprised how many females are studying horticulture and I would certainly encourage young women to follow me into the industry.”

EIT Horticulture student Saffron Wilson is enjoying her apprenticeship at Mr Apple.

how many females are studying horticulture and I would certainly encourage young women to follow me into the industry.”

Wilson has already

started doing this and recently addressed Napier Girls’ High School students at their Careers Day. After leaving Havelock North High School at 16, she tried her hand at hair-

dressing for just over four years, but soon realised she wanted more out of her job.

“I think I wanted little bit more variety and to learn more. I

wanted to be outdoors, but I also wanted to learn about orchards,” Wilson explains. “It was a scary decision, but I wouldn’t change it now to go back to working indoors ever.”

While Wilson does not come from an orcharding background, she grew up around Te Mata Mushrooms in Havelock North, where her grandfather was one of the owners.

She is excited to be working in the apple industry which she believes has a bright future.

“I definitely think it’s changing for the better.”

Wilson says she really enjoys the variety.

“At the moment I enjoy pruning and there’s a lot to it, but during harvest I learnt how to drive tractors. Basically, every day is different, so I pinpoint one activity.”

EIT’s Assistant Head of School, Primary Industries, Paul Keats, says the Horticulture Managed Apprentice Programme is proving to be a success.

“EIT is working with the industry to nurture talent and help young people learn on the job and gain a useful qualification.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2021

Avocado sector continues to grow NEW ZEALAND’S avocado industry value eclipsed $227m in the 2020-21 season.

This breaks down to $167m delivered by avocado exports and another $60m in sales in the New Zealand market.

“This is an extraordinary result for the avocado industry,” says NZ Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular. “Facing the season with Covid lockdowns, significant freight disruption, an inability to meet face-to-face with customers and a small fruit profile, it is a credit to the entire value chain to achieve this record result.”

The 2020 New Zealand avocado season produced a record export volume and total crop volume: 44,000 tonnes of avocados were harvested, with 5.1 million trays (5.5kg per tray) exported to 11 export markets.

This was an increase of 10% on the previous season.

Some 54% of New Zealand’s avocado production came from the Bay of Plenty region in 2020, with 39% coming out of the Northland.

NZ Avocado Growers’ Association chair Linda Flegg describes the returns to growers for export and domestic avocados as very pleasing.

“Especially given the uncertainty at the beginning of the season around the impacts of Covid on our markets, and the disruption to global freight and logistics,” she says.

“Our avocado exporters and NZ marketers did

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extremely well to achieve successful outcomes for growers despite the challenges.”

Demand for avocados from New Zealand was strong in Australia, Thailand and Taiwan – with avocado volumes to Australia up 45% on the previous season.

A combination of a short Australian domestic avocado supply and good New Zealand export pack outs contributed to the increase.

Australia was also New Zealand’s largest market for avocado exports receiving more than 4.2 million (5.5kg) trays. In 2020, domestic production in Western Australia was depleted, which allowed for more NZ imports.

Around 500,000 trays of avocados were also exported to eight markets across Asia. Of those, Thailand was the largest, followed by Taiwan and Singapore. However, volumes were down in some markets, where sea and air freight disruption had a major impact on New Zealand’s avocado exports.

The New Zealand market also delivered good returns.

NZ Avocado chair Linda Flegg and chief executive Jen Scoular.

ALL GO FOR WORLD EXPO

come to New Zealand from around the globe and showcase avocados to the world.

“The opportunity is ripe for avocados and for the wider horticulture and agriculture sectors to share stories of New Zealand’s sustainable food production.”

PLANNING IS underway for NZ to host the biggest avocado gathering in the world, the World Avocado Congress in 2023.

NZ Avocado Growers’ Association chair Linda Flegg says the four yearly event represents an opportunity for the avocado industry to

“Around 2.5 million trays worth over $60m were sold in New Zealand in the 2020 season,” Scoular says.

The domestic market is the second largest for New Zealand avocados and has seen significant growth in the past

five years. It was a $30m market in 2015.

“We continue to invest in avocado promotion in New Zealand to com-

HORTNEWS

municate the wonderful nutrients and versatility of avocados to New Zealand consumers,” Scoular adds.

A smaller average fruit size was another challenge encountered in 2020, with a significant increase in the percentage of small sized avocados in the crop. “Thankfully, early indications show our fruit size is looking larger for the coming season and more in line with New Zealand’s historical avocado fruit size

profile,” Flegg says.

She adds that further developing markets for NZ avocados will remain a priority in 2021, with Australian domestic supply forecast to increase considerably this year and over the coming five years.

“Demand for avocados continues to increase in markets across Asia; the key challenge will be meeting export plans and delivering premium quality New Zealand avocados to these markets.”

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HORTICULTURE ABOUT THE COMPETITION The Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture Education Trust in conjunction with Young Horticulturist official partners; T&G Fresh, Fruitfed Supplies and Countdown are proud to announce the launch of the 2021 Young Horticulturist Competition.

The Competition recognises and celebrates excellence in people under the age of 30 employed in the horticulture industry.

THE GRAND FINAL DATES DAY 1 Wednesday 3rd November 2021, Karaka Bloodstock, Auckland DAY 2 Thursday 4th November 2021, Karaka Bloodstock, Auckland The Competition consists of seven components, some of which are to be completed before the 3rd November. Contact your sector organiser or visit www.younghort.co.nz for more details.

“The Young Horticulturist Competition in 2019 was a fantastic event to learn about the many different aspects New Zealand Horticulture has to offer.

Such a great industry to be involved in with endless opportunities.”

SIMON GOURLEY, 2019 YOUNG HORTICULTURIST WINNER

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2021

The history of growing fruit Chris Owens

THE FRUIT industry has dramatically changed over the last 20 years.

IFG (International Fruit Genetics) showed that a table grape could be so much more, providing a new and interesting consumer experience with the Cotton Candy grape. During the past 20 years, there has been a steady increase in the growth of proprietary fruit breeding programs and we have been very successful by placing a greater emphasis on consumer acceptance of our new varieties.

How has fruit breeding changed?

Taking the table grape and making it not just an option at the store, but something that consumers seek out is a huge change in the industry.

Until recently, most

ABOUT CHRIS OWENS Dr Chris Owens has been with IFG since 2016 and is the lead plant breeder, directing the development of improved varieties of table grapes and sweet cherries. He also directs IFG’s research and development efforts supporting the breeding program. He holds a BS in horticulture from the University of Maryland, an MS in pomology from Cornell University, and a PhD in plant breeding & genetics from Michigan State University.

grape varieties were created with public funding and supported by universities and government agencies. There was little variety beyond the three main colours, and grapes were primarily bred for appearance or the ability to be stored for long periods of time.

However, as consumer demand is changing with more sophisticated palates seeking out unique flavours, textures and

experiences, the industry is undergoing a gradual shift to more proprietary programs and varieties. There have also been some major technological advances in the last 20 years that allow plant breeders to develop new varieties of fruit more quickly.

Recent developments in table grapes and cherries One of the interesting things that’s happened over the last 20 years is

Plant breeder Chris Owens says expect more developments during the next 20 years.

that IFG has increasingly placed the emphasis on breeding for consumer traits.

This is a trend that is likely to continue for table grapes and other agricultural products.

This means we’re looking to breed plants that can withstand temperature extremes, prolonged periods of drought, unexpected rainfall and have improved disease resistance to reduce pesticide use and can be grown throughout the year.

The future of fruit breeding The past 20 years have brought incredible advances and changes to the table grape and cherry industries.

The horticulture industry should expect to see more changes in the future, with many technological advances, such as increased use of mechanisation and robotics.

We should also expect to see new varieties for those settings, particularly the possibility of a stem-free cherry, which would make mechanised harvesting much easier.

New blueberry varieties available

Plant & Food Research says it is making 11 new blueberry varieties available to New Zealandbased growers.

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With the introduction of the Cotton Candy grape, we created a grape that was recognisable by name and taste. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes through the breeding process that leads to

new varieties becoming available. These breeding advancements will have a great effect on the industry.

However, it’s a slow process as grapes and cherries are woody plants that take several years to come into bearing. There are several stages of testing, and each requires starting with young plants that you need to wait to bear fruit.

It can take up to 10 years, at the fastest, for a new grape variety to be bred from scratch.

As the planet gets warmer and the population grows, this could potentially lead to food shortages. Plant breeders have a responsibility to do what we can to breed plants that not only taste great but can withstand greater environmental stress and a changing climate.

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NZ BLUEBERRY growers now have access to new varieties with large, tasty fruit ideal for export.

Plant & Food Research says it is making 11 new blueberry varieties available to New Zealand-based growers, three from the organisation’s own breeding programme and eight licensed from Fall Creek Farm & Nursery in the USA. Of the new varieties, three are Southern Highbush, seven are Northern Highbush and one is Rabbiteye.

According to Plant & Food, the new varieties produce large fruit with good flavour, with a range of seasonality. It adds that all have shown good adaptability to New Zealand conditions in trials to date.

“These new varieties offer a significant opportunity for New Zealand growers to improve their blueberry production and offer new, tasty blueberries to consumers at home and overseas,” says Gavin Ross, group general manager marketing and innovation.

“The new varieties produce tasty berries with high consumer appeal, and grow

well in New Zealand conditions,” he adds.

“We hope the addition of these new varieties to the suite of plants available to growers will help expand the blueberry sector and increase export opportunities over the next decade.”

Ross says growers are invited to apply for a non-exclusive licence to cultivate and grow the varieties for fruit production in New Zealand and for the marketing and sale of fruit worldwide.

Growers who sign up to a licence agreement will be able to place orders with authorised nurseries.

New Zealand currently produces 3,000 tonnes of blueberries from 640 hectares of land, earning $39 million in exports.

Plant & Food Research will gain royalty payments from the licensing arrangement, which it says will be used to further research that benefits New Zealand’s AgriFood industries.

More information about the varieties and how to license them can be found on the Plant & Food Research website: www. plantandfood.co.nz

HORTNEWS

JULY 2021

Dutch manfacturer takes over Italian orchard tractor maker Mark Daniel markd@ruralnews.co.nz

BELGIUM BASED company Keestrack, a manufacturer in the mining, recycling and construction equipment sector, has purchased Italian company Goldoni.

Keestrack says the acquisition of Goldoni, which specialises in agricultural machinery, will allow it to enter the agricultural market and grow even more in the construction segment.

Founded in 1988 by Kees Hoogendoorn, Keestrack is a second generation family business has more than 800 employees worldwide and manufacturing facilities in the Czech Republic, Italy, China and India. It distributes to more than

Goldoni has specialised in 4WD and Equal Wheeled tractors dedicated to orchards and vineyards since 1926.

70 countries around the world.

“After analysing many opportunities, we felt personally drawn to Goldoni for its rich traditional

family values which are very close to ours,” says Keestrack group president Kees Hoogendoorn.

“Our goal is to keep this historic brand

alive, supporting the local economy and employment rates”.

Already operating their own Italian factory for crushers in Pon-

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zano Veneto, Keestrack has now restarted production of Goldoni tractors at Migliarina di Carpi, Modena, Italy – where its employs 110 staff.

Goldoni, established in 1926, specialises in 4WD and Equal Wheeled tractors dedicated to orchards and vineyards – achieving a €50m in 2018.

New Zealand importer and distributor AgTek, based in Te Puke, says it’s been a tough 12-months or so with limited supply from Goldoni due to their changing ownership.

“But its great to see them now back under new ownership,” general manager Gayne Carroll told Hort News. “We’re already seeing a huge improvement in communications and a consistent parts supply.”

Carroll says Agtek has had a great relationship with Goldoni for almost 20 years. “So, we will be pleased to see new tractors arriving later in the year, some already spoken for, with pre-orders from existing Goldoni users.” www.goldoni.co.nz

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2021

The NZ designed and built Pollensmart is an interesting development in the mechanical pollination of orchards.

Smart way to bumper crops Mark Daniel markd@ruralnews.co.nz

WITH KIWIFRUIT being the “go to” good food of the 21st century, it was inevitable that orchard prices would skyrocket.

To make the most of such investments, it goes without saying that

the production of high yielding uniform crops is the main way to ease that high investment pain.

Pollensmart, designed and built in New Zealand and covered by global patents, is an interesting development in the mechanical pollination of orchards.

Built around a heavyduty galvanised steel chassis, a PTO-driven fan unit delivers an air blast from four pollen blower outlets positioned about 80cm apart. These push turbulent air to all areas of the crop canopy. In the same operation, a vacuum inlet at the rear

of the machine, ‘recovers’ any surplus pollen and reintroduces it into the blower line.

The fact that pollen typically costs around $5,000/kg, with a coverage of 2ha to 4ha per kg, means that accuracy of application is vital. In the case of Pollensmart,

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achieved with “bees only” pollination.

The manufacturer says kiwifruit has a very short window for optimal pollination, often only lasting a few days. Using the machine, typically with three applications, allows a grower to pollinate flowers at the optimal time.

This helps create a more evenly pollinated crop and consistently sized fruit.

It is available in single or double setups, to cover 3.5m wide

or 5m wide orchards, respectively.

“Pollensmart takes away the uncertainty of waiting for a contractor to arrive in that critical time window,” explains Wilco Klein-Ovink from the company.

“It also only needs tractor of around 30hp to do the job. However, overall success is achieved by an accurate forward speed of 5km/h and the PTO running at a constant 440 rpm.” www.pollensmart. co.nz

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the integral pollen dispenser maintains an accurate feed rate to the blower assemblies. This helps to reduce wastage, while the process is also said to promote bee activity during the process.

Trial results suggest that use of the unit can help deliver up to $10,000 per hectare increases in revenue. This is largely driven by perfect pollination achieving 88% of fruit suitable for export, compared to the more typical 47%

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