Hort News 2 November 2021

HORTNEWS NOVEMBER 2021, ISSUE 19

Bumper cherry crop predicted – Page 7

ISSN 2624-3490 (print) ISSN 2624-3504 (online)

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Sweet result for hort!

Sudesh Kissun sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

SOME HORTICULTURE farmers are also bracing for financial relief from the proposed free trade agreement between New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Apple, pear and onion growers are among those set to benefit although not as big major meat and dairy exporters.

NZ Apples and Pears chief executive Alan Pollard says at the moment the UK is a $100 million market for growers, consistently ranking in the top two or three.

“We have a quota between August and December where volume above

that quota attracts an 8% tariff,” he told Hort News.

Under the proposed FTA, the tariff on pears will be removed on day one, with the tariff on apples reducing over three years “So, there is some financial relief and we benefit from a more welcoming regulatory environment,” says Pollard.

Onion growers will face zero tariff from day one. The tariff on New Zealand onions is currently 8%. New Zealand currently exports $11 million worth of onions to the United Kingdom annually.

Onions NZ chief executive James Kuperus says the FTA will ensure that this country’s onion exports continue to grow as the world comes to terms

with Covid. “Trade and exporting benefits a diverse range of New Zealand businesses,” he says.

“Without clear trading arrangements, improved market access and reduced tariffs, it is extremely difficult to export from the bottom of the world to larger economies like the United Kingdom.

“Of immediate benefit to the onion sector is the expectation of tariffs being eliminated on onions, once the agreement comes into force.”

The New Zealand Government announced the details of an “in-principle” New Zealand-UK FTA last week as trade officials neared completing the deal after little more than a year of negotiations. Kuperus says the NZ

onion sector is extremely grateful for the hard work of New Zealand’s negotiators and diplomats who have worked tirelessly to conclude this agreement.

“The New Zealand team has had to join Zoom calls with their counterparts at extremely inconvenient times of the night, for example.”

The conclusion of this agreement will benefit onion growers and regional communities, from Pukekohe to Canterbury. Onions are an important rotation crop for many vegetable growers.

Having onions in a rotation allows growers to rotate between other crops such as lettuces, potatoes, carrots etc, which helps to control pests and diseases.

In 2019, the

New Zealand onion industry was worth $200 million back to the grower, 85% of which came from exports. Meanwhile Apiculture New Zealand says the deal will be a great outcome for the bee industry and will improve competitiveness in one of their largest export markets.

The UK consistently ranks as one of top three export markets for New Zealand honey and is worth $70 million annually. “We have strong ties with UK customers, with a long history of exporting high-quality honey products there. However, the current in-quota tariff rate of 16 per cent has been a significant barrier to trade,” says Karin Kos, chief executive of Apiculture New Zealand.

GETTING READY!

MANGAWEKA ASPARAGUS manager Sam Rainey oversees an 80 hectare asparagus in the central North Island.

When Hort News visited the property in late September, Rainey and his staff were in the final stages of preparing for the harvest. The packhouse was being set up and at the same time the first spears of asparagus were starting to appear. While the total size of the property is 80 hectares, they will pick just 65 hectares this season – which equates to up to 250 tonnes.

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HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

It’s now RubyRed! Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

ITS OFFICIAL, Zespri has confirmed that its current red kiwifruit will be named Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit for the first year of sales of commercial volumes in the upcoming 2022 season.

The red variety was commercialised in December 2019 and initially marketed as Zespri Red during the sales trials. Now the newlybranded kiwifruit will be available in commercial volumes for the first time in 2022 in NZ, Singapore, Japan and China. Volumes are expected to increase from 70,000 trays in 2021 to around 250,000 trays in 2022.

Zespri chief growth officer Jiunn Shih says the new name better reflects the fruit’s properties and

had tested well in consumer research.

“Consumers have been attracted to the fruit’s unique colour profile and berry-like taste and we’ve been delighted with their feedback,” he told Hort News. “The consumer response to our limited sales trials over the last three seasons have exceeded expectations and suggest Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit is able to attract new and younger consumers into the kiwifruit category, complementing our offering of the world’s best kiwifruit.”

Shih says as Zespri moved towards establishing commercial volumes of the red kiwifruit, they’ve been exploring names that better embody the essence of the fruit, which he hope resonates with our con-

sumers.

He says throughout their consumer research, Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit has remained at the top of consumer’s preference list. He says this not only because it reflects the rare and precious nature of the fruit but the ruby element gives consumers an immediate sense of that alluring red colour.

“Consumer research was undertaken in a number of markets, and also took into account the need for the new name to translate across different languages given the fruit’s broad appeal in Asian markets. The name is in the process of being trademarked in Zespri’s key markets.”

Shih says the shorter shelf-life of RubyRed compared to Zespri SunGold and Zespri Green has meant that they’ve

The red kiwifruit will be named Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit for the upcoming 2022 season.

prioritised their Asian markets given the shorter shipping times. He says, in the meantime, they are continuing growing trials in Zespri’s Northern

Hemisphere production locations – such as Italy to determine the commercial potential of a red cultivar in different environments.

“We remain committed to providing the world’s leading portfolio of fresh, high quality and safe kiwifruit and we’re looking forward to

even more consumers being able to try Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit in the years ahead.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

Young Grower of Year winner MELISSA VAN den Heuvel has won the Young Grower of the Year for 2021.

Twenty-five-year old van den Heuvel is an avocado grower services representative at Apata Group Limited, based in the Bay of Plenty.

“I am very proud to be in this industry. It is something I am very passionate about. What we produce

is very top notch,” she says.

“It was great to be part of this competition and get to know my fellow competitors. We’d all like to thank the sponsors and HortNZ for giving us this opportunity.”

The Young Grower of the Year, run by Horticulture New Zealand, is an annual competition comprising

regional finals in major fruit and vegetable growing areas and a national final. The competition is to encourage young people to take up a career in horticulture as well as celebrate the success of young people in the industry.

HortNZ president Barry O’Neil says supporting young people and

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encouraging more of them to join the industry is critical to its continued success and growth, in what is the new normal – life affected by Covid.

“At times like these, having a cause and taking time out to celebrate it is even more important than it was before,” he says.

“This year’s regional finals were

oversubscribed, which shows the inherent optimism in our industry as well as the pride inherent in providing New Zealand and the world with tasty and healthy, fruit and vegetables.”

The national final was held at the Lower Hutt Events on 20 and 21 October, following all Alert Level 2 health and safety protocols.

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HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

Labour the no. 1 issue Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

LABOUR ISSUES will be the top priority for HortNZ chief executive Nadine Tunley in the coming year, with environmental issues a close second.

Tunley told Hort News that the horticulture sector is doing well considering Covid and the challenging times that lie ahead. She says the sector has a really great heart and is very focused on

meeting the increasing demand both in NZ and overseas for fresh fruit and vegetables.

However, Tunley notes that other issues such as logistics and a shortage of labour continue to put pressure on growers. She says government approval to allow quarantine free travel (QFT), for the next few months, for workers from the Pacific Islands is good news.

However, Tunley warns there are other challenges – such as the

availability of aircraft to fly them to NZ and then getting their visas processed in time.

“That is probably going to be the sticking point and the numbers we need to get into the country is probably greater than the number of visas able to be processed,” she told Hort News. “That is an ongoing frustration and one we will continue to work through with the Government.”

Tunley says product groups representing

AUTOMATION NOT THAT SIMPLE ONE OF the answers glibly touted as a solution to the labour problems in the hort sector is automation.

Tunley debunks this assertion, saying it’s not just a matter of immediately rolling in the robots.

She says automation and technology is only available in some parts of the hort businesses.

She points to the work currently being done to develop an automated asparagus harvester but says it will many years before that is commercialised.

“But if you go to our plantation crops – such as trees and kiwifruit and apples – the technology in the orchard currently does not exist at commercial scale.,” Tunley told Hort News. “I assure you that if that opportunity was available to the large operators they would definitely be investing in it.”

However, she says on the flipside automation and technology is widely used and highly developed in packhouses around the country. Tunley says companies have all invested in it and are now refining and upgrading their systems.

“Look at the kiwifruit industry, they have got massive amounts of investment in that space and they have been doing that for quite a long time. A number of apple businesses are also doing it.”

Tunley says for vegetable growers, who produce multiple varieties of products, some of which are quite delicate, the opportunities for automation are not so great.

“Trying to get our message across in terms of automation and technology is sometimes frustrating,” she says. “We are doing what we can, when we can and it’s not as simple as everyone seems to think.”

Tunley says one of the problems that NZ has been facing over the decades is a much more sedentary workforce – less interested in physical work. She says much of the work in harvesting horticultural crops is physically demanding.

“Many years ago, this was much more acceptable to New Zealanders,” she explains. “Automation would be a great solution if it existed.”

apples and pears, summerfruit, kiwifruit, wine and HortNZ are working closely on how they can better utilise Kiwis in the hort sector. She says there are ongoing initiatives to attract students, people in between jobs, as well as people just looking for a change.

“There is a lot going on and staff are working very hard on these initiatives,” Tunley explains.

She says fruit picking regions such as Central Otago find it hard to attract people. Tunley adds that it’s a combination of factors, one of which is they are isolated, not near a pool of labour and have near zero unemployment.

“Overlay that with the fact that that most of our unemployed are mostly at the other end of the country. We are working very hard and getting support from government agencies such as MSD to somehow incentivise a change of behaviour,” she adds. “It’s very difficult.

Once upon a time, people used to go anywhere for employment but those situations have changed and people don’t do that anymore.”

Tunley says the younger generation is very much focused on technology.

“Their world is at their fingertips as they access the internet and social media and the industry needs to pitch itself to their interests and skills” She says young people tend to only look at the

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physical elements of horticulture and see it as menial work. However, she point out that the industry is a highly skilled and sophisticated one based on science and technology.

“We need to tell them the ways we gather consumer insights and market our products to the world,” Tunley told Hort News. “We are a brilliant industry and need to focus some energy in that space and build that capability that makes us really attractive so we can recruit and retain the talent we need.”

HortNZ chief executive Nadine Tunley says issues such as logistics and a shortage of labour continue to put pressure on growers.

TIME NEEDED Another significant priority for Nadine Tunley is the environmental challenges that the hort and other primary industries are facing.

She says everyone wants a greener world, but the sector needs the time and ability to work through what the Government means and how their new regulations can be implemented.

“From our perspective it’s about giving our growers the time to implement that effectively.”

Tunley says growers need to have a clear understanding of what the rules are about and be given the opportunity to buy into them. Rather than treating these as a compliance issue and another regulation being imposed on them.

She says this will take time.

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HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

The valley of asparagus DRIVING UP state highway 1 through the central North Island on your way to Mt Ruapehu, you will pass through the small township of Mangaweka - perhaps best known for its DC-3 aircraft caf and a sign pointing you to river rafting activities. But as Peter Burke reports, just 12km east of the town, lies an amazing asparagus growing operation.

THE SETTING is the beautiful unspoilt Kawhatau valley, through which a river of the same name runs down and feeds the larger Rangitikei River.

Further in the east, is the Ruahine Ranges, the tops snow-covered during winter. The area is about 500 metres above sea level and one would normally class it as typical good sheep and beef country. And that’s what

it is – except for about 80ha of unfenced land where asparagus is grown.

The property is owned

by George and Diana Turney, who emigrated from England in 1965 and have been involved in farming all their life. George was always impressed with the soils in the Rangitikei area and after farming sheep and beef, decided to take the punt and buy the present property in the Kawhatau

Asparagus can grow just as well on the free draining and fertile soils at Mangaweka as it can where it is traditionally grown on sand country.

and plant asparagus. That was about 25 years ago.

At the same time, Sam Rainey was growing up on his parents’ sheep and beef farm about a kilo-

metre up the road and saw the development of the asparagus operation.

Fast forward to the present day and after doing a B Ag Com at Lincoln, he

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worked on other farms and in business and is now the manager of the operation.

Rainey says when George and Diana first bought the property, they grew a small acreage of asparagus and took down all the fences and ran a bull-techno operation. But now the bulls are gone and just a few cows are winter grazed on the lower terraces of the property. The rest is in asparagus.

He says the key to the operation is the soil type – free draining and fertile.

It is proof that asparagus can grow just as well on these soils as it can where it is traditionally grown on sand country.

“It is a spring vegetable and when we get these cold fronts coming through in September and October, it tends to be the most unpredictable and

wet time of the year, and occasionally it can cause quality issues,” Rainey told Hort News. “But once you get over that and into November, we get really good production.”

When Hort News visited the property in late September, Rainey and his staff were in the final stages of preparing for the harvest. The packhouse was being set up and at the same time the first spears of asparagus were starting to appear.

While the total size of the property is 80 hectares, they will pick just 65 hectares this season – which equates to up to 250 tonnes.

While the soil and climate in the Kawhatau may be good for growing asparagus, the central North Island is far from ideal when it comes to sourcing labour to pick the crop. It’s sparsely pop-

ulated for a start.

“The challenge is that it’s a short harvest window and to pull 50-60 locals out of Taihape or Mangaweka is unrealistic,” Rainey says.

To that end, they have traditionally employed RSE workers from Vanuatu to do this work. He says these workers are desperately keen to come to NZ but can’t because of Covid. Luckily, Rainey has managed to do a deal with an apple grower in Hawkes Bay, who had a group of 53 Filipino workers who were available and has employed them instead.

“They are a great bunch of people who have fitted in well,” he told Hort News. “They didn’t sign up to pick asparagus but they are grateful for the work and we are very grateful to have them.”

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This year 53 Filipino workers have been employed to help with harvest.

Mangaweka Asparagus manager Sam Rainey.

gaweka Asparagus is the modern accommodation block that has been built specially to house a workforce of up to 60 people.

Rainey says there was an obvious lack of rental accommodation locally and part of the Government deal of having RSE workers is that they could not effectively take houses off Kiwis. The accommodation block includes a kitchen and

lounge and all the mod cons.

Rainey says the company has accepted the idea of providing accommodation for the workers and says there is a major advantage in having all the workers here on site.

“So that’s a win-win and we have set it up to a high standard to make sure they are comfortable and they want to come back here in the future.”

PLENTY OF CHALLENGES AHEAD THE DIFFICULTY of sourcing labour, the lack of an export outlet and rising costs are all putting pressure on asparagus growers and other enterprises in the horticulture sector.

Sam Rainey told Hort News for the asparagus industry to remain profitable – particularly because of labour costs – it has to look at labour-saving technology both in the field and in the packhouse.

The Asparagus Council, the Ministry

for Primary Industry and a company called Robotics Plus, based in the Bay of Plenty, are working on a four year programme to develop a mechanical harvester.

This is in the early stage of development and is based on the work done on a previous prototype. Rainey says they have sorted out the vision technology of the machine.

“The next bit is to get it to cut the asparagus spear to length of the

customer’s specification and discard any unsaleable spears. If it could do that, it would be huge plus,” he says.

But it’s likely to be some years before the technology is developed to a stage where it can replace the clever eye of the human picker.

In the meantime, Rainey says the industry will continue to rely on the RSE scheme and somehow attract more local people to work on the land.

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HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

Lockdown tough on flower growers Jessica Marshall jessica@ruralnews.co.nz

THE CURRENT Covid-19 lockdown has been tough on flower growers.

According to a growers’ association, lockdowns in the Auckland and Waikato regions meant florists are unable to open and events like weddings are cancelled or postponed. It says flower growers are finding it difficult to stay afloat.

A spokesperson for United Flower Growers (UFG) says that because flowers were classified as a non-essential item during Alert Level Four, many growers and retailers were unable to trade.

“Being a perishable product, many of these beautiful flowers have had to go in the bin,” they told Hort News.

“This is heart breaking for our growers. Some of our growers may have spent up to 12 months growing these blooms.”

They said the continued Level Three lockdowns in Auckland and the Waikato has had an enormous impact on the cut flower industry nationally.

“Some growers have lost up to half of their yearly income based on the lengthy lockdown.”

With no roadmap out of the Auckland and Waikato lockdowns from the Government, growers are taking a more cautious approach on the volume they

pick and send to market.

“Once the product is picked, it only has a short shelf life being a perishable product. This will have a flow on effect to our retailers and ultimately on the end consumer.”

With reduced abilities to sell flowers in a retail setting due to the continued lockdown, the impact is severe.

“Customers who would normally get the experience of walking into a florist and choosing the flowers that they would like in their bouquets are unable to do so. Or customers who are purchasing flowers for special occasions or to mourn the loss of a loved one are unable to do so.”

UFG says it is working with the Government to gain clearer lockdown guidelines for the industry.

“We are strongly advocating for the Government to reassess the cut flower industry and recognising it as an essential item,” it says.

“We believe that if you can purchase cakes and alcohol in lockdown, you should be able to purchase flowers during these times too.

“We believe that in a time where mental health is so prevalent, blooms spark so much joy to people and as such flowers should be classed as an essential item.”

Because flowers were classified as a nonessential item during Alert Level Four, many growers and retailers were unable to trade.

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HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

Bumper cherry crop expected this year Peter Burke

LOGISTICAL CHALLENGE

peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

CENTRAL OTAGO is heading towards producing its largest crop of cherries ever produced in the region.

That’s the word from Tim Jones, chief executive of 45 South, which manages and owns more than 400 hectares of cherry orchards around Cromwell in Central Otago. He says the crop could be in the order of 7000 tonnes of cherries for export.

Jones says the trees are in bloom right now and with nice weather, the bloom is good and the bees are actively pollinating the crop.

He says it looks like a great crop but cautions that there is still the potential for frost in the coming weeks.

The actual picking of the crop is still a few weeks away yet.

“At the moment, our permanent crews are out there mowing and spraying and that sort of stuff, gearing up for the harvest, which will start probably sometime between December 10 and 15,” he told Hort News.

In the period before harvest, Jones and other cherry growers are busy trying to recruit people to pick the potentially record crop. He says they have been on social media and advertising on their websites earlier than normal.

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45 South chief executive Tim Jones(right), says it looks like a great cherry crop but cautions that there is still the potential for frost in the coming weeks.

“The word I have is that everyone is pleasantly surprised at the level of enquiry,” he says.

“The recent announcement by the Government that it’s extending the supplementary seasonal employment work visas (SSE) for another six months is welcome news for everyone – so growers are now able offer jobs to those people who have applied for that.”

Jones says they’ve had good enquiry from university students looking for work and he says the cherry industry is lucky that its harvest season coincides with the university break. However, he says other summer fruit

and apple growers are not so lucky.

The other good news is that a cohort of RSE workers from the Pacific Islands have arrived in the country under a special scheme which allows them to isolate on orchards rather than in MIQ. Jones says some of these people have been isolated on their properties and once they get clear Covid tests they will be free to work in the orchards.

Despite all the promising signs of having a good labour workforce, Jones says there is still a degree of nervousness among growers. He says while there is interest in jobs,

many have still to sign up yet.

He says added to the problem is the lack of backpackers in the country who in the past have been an important part in the seasonal workforce.

“There are also concerns that if there are various levels of lockdowns around the country, people might be put off travelling to come down for a short period of time to harvest the crop,” he adds.

“There is also the unknown of how many RSE workers will remain in NZ. “We won’t have a level of comfort until the fruit is picked.”

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A POTENTIAL 7000 tonne crop will stretch what is already a fragile logistics chain, according to Tim Jones.

He says the option of using sea freight is very risky this year simply because of the delays of getting vessels and containers.

“I think the bulk of the fruit will be airfreighted and the capacity will have to be more than it’s ever been because of the size of the crop,” Jones told Hort News. “So, I can see a lot more charter aircraft being used this year because of the lack of passenger planes around.”

He says this will inevitably lead to higher freight costs, not only because air freight is more expensive, but because the charter flights coming to take the cherries back overseas won’t have much incoming freight, which will push up costs.

However, Jones says the positive side is that they have built up good relations with some of the airlines and hope to have similar arrangements in place this season. He says not all the increased costs can be passed on to consumers and the growers will have to take a hit as well.

“We are quietly confident, while it won’t be an easy year, we will find a way to get the fruit to market.”

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HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

High jump for Hi-cane?

Sudesh Kissun sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

A NORTHLAND grower wants the horticulture sector to show stronger leadership in opposing a proposal to ban the chemical Hi-Cane.

Brett Heap, a courgette grower from Kerikeri, says the industry mustn’t allow a free pass to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) on HiCane’s future.

“I do not believe the likes of EPA make sound judgements,” he told Hort News.

“It is more about power and control over the agrichemical industry and it has also become too emotive in dealing with a few pressure groups.”

Heap wants kiwifruit and horticulture sector leaders to stand up to the EPA.

“Right now, growers are feeling that when EPA says jump, their leaders ask ‘how high?’ It’s time to show some leadership.”

Heap questioned how many member of the EPA had experience in the use of agrichemicals.

Hydrogen cyanamide or Hi-Cane is a spray used by kiwifruit growers to help buds form after winter and is also used by some other fruit growers. First brought to New Zealand in 1988, it is now banned in Europe and is under review in the US. The EPA is currently holding public consultations on its proposal to gradually phase-out of the use of hydrogen cyanamide, leading to a total ban in five years.

EPA general manager of hazardous substances group, Dr Chris Hill, says it is aware of growers’ reliance on hydrogen cyana-

NZKGI believes that banning Hi-Cane would be disastrous for the NZ kiwifruit industry.

mide over many years.

Hill says kiwifruit growers and Zespri have been closely involved in the reassessment process since grounds were established in September 2019.

“Our proposals are a draft. They are likely to evolve further before they

reach the decision-making committee, which is responsible for making the ultimate call on the reassessment,” he told Rural News.

“While we accept that there are economic benefits from hydrogen cyanamide use, new

information suggests these are outweighed by the environmental risks and adverse health effects.

“For those who work with the spray, the latest science indicates that repeated exposure over time is toxic to the repro-

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ductive system and thyroid.”

Growers are warning that the withdrawal of HiCane could reduce yield and impact profitability.

NZ Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI) chief executive Colin Bond agrees that banning

Hi-Cane would be disastrous.

“The removal of HiCane in northern regions could have a severe impact on kiwifruit production and reduce yields to uneconomic levels for growers, particularly affecting green growers,” he told Hort News.

Some growers have contacted NZKGI concerned with the EPA’s recommendations on the use of Hi-Cane in NZ. Bond says NZKGI is currently consulting with growers to form a position which will be submitted in response to the EPA’s recommendations.

He says Hi-Cane is critical for kiwifruit production where it is used once a year in late winter primarily to compensate for inadequate winter chill. “The industry is continuing to search for alternative products.”

HORTNEWS

New apple ‘dazzles’ Chinese consumers – Page 4

0 (print) ISSN 2624-349 4 (online) ISSN 2624-350

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Sudesh Kissun

lnews.co.nz sudeshk@rura

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New Zealanders one had cars parke says. fantastic. it’s changing y New Zealanding like that,” he day-after-day, was er fresh and qualit new normal and never seen anyth all in this togeth g through an as other “They knew were on a weekly basis “It was like drivin growphone between and there was heavy that was really good.” talking” on the abandoned town got lockdown. and e.” into have I diseas went …that the ry ing sibility for spread ers as the count feeling of respon was “a lot of but operat- tors people sitfood there these all recalls people for De Bruin only to supply to do this right not vecs. er that we were ting in their house not ing in a mann responsibility, “We had a big

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HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

Spanish scientist helping to protect NZ avocados SCIENTIST LUCIA Ramos is part of the epidemiology and disease management team at Plant & Food Research that’s investigating avocado diseases and their management.

She works alongside the New Zealand avocado industry to implement best practices in orchards and to support export growth.

“I feel fortunate that my new home since 2017, New Zealand, is giving me

fungi also survive from season to season in dead fruit or other plant material on the ground, so orchard hygiene is important. Copper sprays can also be used to help to keep diseases at a low level.”

She is very thankful to the NZ Avocado representatives and growers for their cooperation and willingness to provide access to their orchards for research.

“Working closely with

“Dense canopies with dead wood, leaves or fruit enhance the growth of fungi that cause diseases. These fungi also survive from season to season in dead fruit or other plant material on the ground, so orchard hygiene is important. Copper sprays can also be used to help to keep diseases at a low level.” the opportunity to reconnect with this fascinating fruit crop,” Ramos says.

Hass is the main avocado variety grown in New Zealand. It is a subtropical fruit grown in a temperate climate which can bring challenges, such as fruit rot diseases, that occur in many avocadoproducing regions worldwide and can negatively affect quality and consumer satisfaction.

“The fungi infect the fruit in the orchard, but symptoms normally appear once the fruit is collected and starts to ripen. This can make the management of rot diseases extremely challenging,” says Ramos.

She is working with the avocado industry to analyse and identify underlying cultural, chemical and biological practices already happening in the orchard that may contribute to low incidence of diseases. She investigates the extent to which these practices influence avocado production.

“Dense canopies with dead wood, leaves or fruit enhance the growth of fungi that cause diseases,” Ramos explains. “These

the avocado industry is key to understanding their needs and focusing on the real problems we need to solve. The work we do is to support their success and the success of New Zealand.”

Lab work is another important aspect of her work on avocado diseases, as it may provide further insight into the occurrence and development of pathogens that infect avocado crops.

Ramos is currently investigating ways to isolate disease-causing pathogens from the plant material they infect, such as avocado fruit and stems. This will allow her to identify what pathogens are present, as well as characteristics such as when and how those pathogens infect and what weather conditions encourage them to thrive.

“By increasing our knowledge of these factors, we can give growers a more accurate timeframe of when to intervene,” Ramos adds. “If we can detect a period that favours the spread and development of certain pathogens, for example, growers could be advised to focus their sprays or

hygiene practices during these key periods, reducing unnecessary spray applications and workload during the year.”

Lucia Ramos works alongside the New Zealand avocado industry to implement best practices in orchards.

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HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

Bram Paans has just completed his three-year Bachelor of Horticultural Science degree at Massey University and he also took out the Zespri prize for excellence in horticulture.

‘Amazing’ horticulture sector draws top young scholar Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

MASSEY UNIVERSITY’S top horticultural student for 2021 believes there’d be real benefit if there was greater collaboration between organic and conventional farmers.

Only 18-years old, Bram Paans has just completed his three-year Bachelor of Horticultural Science degree – during which he also took out the Zespri prize for excellence in horticulture.

He told Hort News that both the organic and the conventional farming sector could learn much from each other. Paans says there are principles in organic farming that could be

applied in conventional agriculture and horticultural systems. He reckons there are a lot of new technologies and knowledge available now that could be shared.

“I think a lot of conventional farming systems see things just through a chemical lens – how many nutrients are there, what does the plant need and how much fertiliser to chuck on,” Paans explains.

“If there is problem you just spray. But the farming systems are more complicated and there is lot of biology going on. If you just take a chemical approach you come across problems you can’t explain using chemistry.”

At the age of five, Paans came

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from Holland to NZ with his parents.

They bought a four hectare block, near Masterton in the Wairarapa, where they run an indoor organic and hydroponic vegetable growing operation.

He says being brought up in a farming business did help shape his decision to do a horticultural science degree at Massey, although at one stage he toyed with the idea of something like engineering.

Paans told Hort News one day he had a real think about what to do at university and suddenly realised just how much he loved horticulture.

“I did a search online and then realised that Massey was the only place that offered a dedicated horti-

cultural science degree, and that was it,” he says.

“The degree is great because while the focus is obviously on horticulture, there are other aspects to it such as international agribusiness, soil science, finance and the international supply chain. It’s been a good degree.”

Paans is unusual in that at just 18 years old, he now has a three year degree at an age when most students are starting university. This was because he skipped a couple of years at school. In 2022, Paans is planning to go back to Massey to do his master’s degree – also in horticulture –but he’s also keen to do some soil science papers.

AS FOR the future, Paans is taking a step towards this over the summer break, doing an internship with Landwise – a company which promotes sustainability.

“I am quite interested in the area of extension services. A lot of graduates are going into farming, business, but there are not enough organisations out there who are trying to bring the academic knowledge from university and re-morph it into something that farmers can use,” he told Hort News.

“The idea is to bridge the disconnect between universities and all the work they do in their little world and what the farmers do. Extension is very important to bridge that gap and I am quite interested in the extension side of the business.”

Paans sees headwinds for the sector coming down the road – especially for the commercial growing operations. He points to the impact of urban development on to highly productive soils, which he says in time will limit the ability of NZ to produce enough vegetables to feed the country.

“If you are a traditional, vegetable grower in NZ you have to work with the supermarkets. If you talk to any domestic vegetable grower, including my parents, prices for their products have remained much the same for the last 20 years,” he explains.

“Essentially, prices for vegetables are going down and down each year. There is big disconnect about the value of food between growers and consumers. Food is seen as a commodity – meaning it has to be cheap, cheap, cheap.”

Paans says one day he would like to return to the Wairarapa and buy a block of land and grow vegetables. However, he says the high price of land – coupled with low product prices – may make this an impossible dream.

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HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

T&G and Lincoln join forces A NEW partnership offering students a hands-on learning experience and pathway into employment in the horticulture industry has been announced

by T&G Global and Lincoln University.

The two-year programme will see students earning a fulltime wage while gaining valuable, practical work experience as they study towards a Level 5 Diploma of Horti-

New Zealand business.

“Given horticulture is a key part of the Hawke’s Bay economy, gaining experience first-hand in this environment will provide students with valuable skills and experience to accompany their academic qualifications,” Bigsby explains.

“This unique partnership with T&G will enable students to be immersed in work and education

“As T&G continues to expand its apples business to meet global demand it’s crucial the business has skilled and passionate team members to be the future leaders of our industry.” culture from Lincoln University.

Craig Betty, T&G global director of operations, says the partnership is the first of its kind in New Zealand and demonstrates the company’s willingness to think creatively to recruit and develop new talent for the horticulture sector.

“We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with Lincoln University to enable students to earn while they learn – making obtaining a qualification, practical experience and a long-term career pathway more attainable and appealing within our industry,” Betty says.

“As T&G continues to expand its apples business to meet global demand it’s crucial the business has skilled and passionate team members to be the future leaders of our industry.”

Betty adds it’s an exciting time for the business and the new partnership with Lincoln University.

“It provides a special opportunity for students to be a part of that, building their skills and capabilities within our world-class operations.”

Dean of the Faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce at Lincoln University, Professor Hugh Bigsby, says the collaboration with T&G is a new innovation in education, immersing university education within a leading

at the same time, earning while they learn and taking their learnings straight into the workplace.”

The programme offers students a combination of online and face to face learning remotely with Lincoln University and in person with T&G trained coaches. T&G will also provide paid study days to help students with the academic components of the diploma.

Betty says the programme will bring new up-and-coming talent to the workforce and in turn will help provide support during the businesses’ expansion and peak seasons.

“We’ve integrated the academic course work to align with our peak seasons, helping us have more hands-on-deck as we work up to the busy harvesting period,” he adds. “At the peak of the season, students will work five days per week and for the remainder of the year, students will work four days and be offered one paid study day per week to support them to complete their academic course work.”

The programme is targeted at high school leavers who are motivated to further their studies locally in the Hawke’s Bay. There is also opportunity for students in Northland and Nelson to participate in the programme if there

is interest.

Under the current Government’s fees free vocational educational initiative, the Diploma in Horticulture is offered at no cost to participants. Eligibility for the

11

T&G Global and Lincoln University are offering a twoyear programme that will see students earning a fulltime wage while they study towards a Level 5 Diploma of Horticulture.

programme is subject to meeting Lincoln University’s academic criteria.

The first cohort of the programme has 30 places starting in January 2022.

More: www.careers.tandg. global

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NOVEMBER 2021

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The sweet smell of success!

The embodiment of a thriving small local business, Scullys is set up in an old woolshed in Bulls and is now exporting its lavender-inspired products to the world IN 1992 founders Judy and Gerry Scully returned from overseas inspired by the lavender fields abroad and decided to turn that inspiration into reality.

Paddocks of blue soon became the landscape on their rural property 5km from Bulls. This flourished into a blooming business.

Lavandula angustifolia lavender was harvested and the oil used in the unique bath, body and home products. The old woolshed was converted; there Devonshire teas, lavender meringues and many other treats were served amongst the clean and fresh aroma of Lavender.

A gift shop at the farm sold the creams, lotions, bath salts, oils, waxes and candles. The range has grown with new products added each year.

What started with afternoon teas and creating Lavender-infused products in the family woolshed, has grown in significant proportions to a successful export business employing over 10 people in the region.

Today, Scullys offers a suite of bath, body and home products made exclusively with New Zealand ingredients and resources. It exports to several international markets – China, Japan, America, Sweden, the

Netherlands and Australia – with a firm eye on other European exports later this year.

The company has grown from its rudimentary beginnings to become one of the leaders in New Zealand’s bath, body and home industry.

Operations manager Sarah Parkinson says country-of-origin attributes have become The original lavender farm, previously the Raumai Grange Lavender Farm, produced all the oils for Scully products. However, due to the growth of the business, it is no longer able to grow and harvest enough oil with locally sourced Lavandula angustifolia oil also now used in its products.

Scully’s flagship store at Bulls is still running after nearly 20 years.

increasingly beneficial when venturing into new international markets – a key pillar in their longterm plan and strategy.

Over the last four years Scullys has bolstered its team with people who have extensive experience in trade and marketing, which has changed the dynamic of the business and resulted in significant growth.

Brand and marketing manager Alex Tee says

that the company has seen a 100% year-on-year increase in online sales between 2018 and 2020.

And this rapid growth doesn’t look like it will slow down anytime soon, with sales forecast to increase again this year.

He puts this down to the team that’s created by great people who keep things moving, offer reliability and consistency, and “put their heart into our products and service”.

“This is what makes customers come back, because we genuinely strive to provide the best quality products that give our customers an array of creative gifting options to choose from, all of which are hand crafted with love and care,” Tee explains.

Looking ahead to the future of the business, Parkinson is optimistic the company’s range will continue to reap the benefits of the FernMark as it expands into new offshore markets.

“The family values of ingenuity and thinking outside the box are rein-

forced through everything we do,” she adds.

“As we continue to

grow the business, we will also continue to promote our unique point of differ-

ence to the world, which is about producing quality products.”

THE MARK OF A WINNER

SARAH PARKINSON says the FernMark has been a key driver behind Scullys’ local growth strategy and forged genuine trust with its key stakeholders – from distributors right through to customers in the local New Zealand market.

“To us, the FernMark represents a symbolic mark of quality and trust to international and local audiences. Being a licenced FernMark member helped Scullys to tell its homegrown Kiwi business story and become a brand that consumers in offshore markets care about,” she explains.

“It brings trust and certainty to these markets and really takes our offering to the next level by promoting our products as uniquely New Zealand.”

Parkinson adds that the extra tick of approval in a government endorsement sense also helps to strengthen consumer confidence that a company’s products are authentic and ‘of New Zealand’ standard.

“Not least to mention the physical display of the FernMark logo on our products, which reinforces our story and provides a tangible link between the brand and New Zealand… that’s a huge benefit for an evolving brand like ours.”

[Courtesy of the New Zealand Story]

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HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

Changing climates affecting global fruit production Chris Owens

CLIMATE CHANGE has been affecting many different regions around the globe for decades and the shift in weather is impacting fruit production.

Areas that are being impacted most severely have historically seen significant effects from climate change. However, there are other areas also being affected, such as the north-western United States and Western Canada with this year’s unprecedented heat. There have also been severe wildfires in many regions, threatening entire fields of crops.

The regions facing the most issues right now are those that are already battling heat and drought.

Some areas in Europe have begun moving wine grape vineyards further north or to a higher elevation, adjusting to the planet’s changing climate.

The regions facing the most issues right now are those that are already battling heat and drought.

Changes in the weather affect the locations where products can be grown, thereby impacting the capacity to produce the food necessary to feed the world’s population.

Table grapes themselves are more heat tolerant, and IFG’s breeding program has used the most recent heatwave to screen our varieties for heat tol-

erance.

However, there is still a maximum amount of heat that fruit can tolerate, and as climate change continues to alter the

environment, it will affect global agriculture and food production.

Climate change is the shift of average weather conditions over time and

has been chiefly caused by human activity. The increase of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere allows for more of the sun’s rays to pass through the atmosphere, increasing the temperature on the planet.

The result of these shifts can be severe or extreme weather events, such as more frequent and intense storms, flooding, scorching heat waves, freezing cold snaps, wildfires, and water shortages.

Growers are witnessing their entire fields of crops damaged in one swoop.

Climate change has a direct impact on our global food supply.

Changes in the weather affect the locations where products can be grown, thereby impacting the capacity for farmers to produce the food necessary to feed the world’s population. Fruits and

vegetables are living organisms that respond to warm and cold temperature changes. Anything that will make significant changes to the environment will have considerable impacts on agriculture.

From breeding to growing to packing, each area has different courses to cope with climate change. On the breeding side, efforts are being made to develop varieties that can tolerate rain and heat to varying stages of the production cycle.

IFG is working on this for our table grape and cherry crops, and other fruit breeders are working on the same for crops such as apples and pears.

Growers are also implementing new irrigation system technology to be more efficient while protecting their crops from the rapidly changing environment. They are utilising soil humidity sensors, reflective covers to reduce water evaporation, shade nets to protect the crops from excessive sun exposure, and even rain covers to protect the fruit from rainstorms.

These efforts may be enough to protect against hot or cold temperatures or drought; however, they will not save crops from being destroyed by extreme weather events such as wildfires, storms, or floods.

Due to climate change

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and recent developments in fruit-breeding programs, farmers are avoiding planting in higher-risk areas. The industry is seeing increasing growth of planting in regions where certain fruit varieties were not grown in the past. Jalisco in Mexico or Piura in Peru are examples of developing table grape regions.

This change in geography is also evident in other crops, such as blueberries and cherries, with the recent introduction of low-chill varieties.

Climate change is at the forefront of many conversations in agriculture, which is why IFG does the work we do: breeding new varieties of fruit that will grow in warmer climates with less water requirements.

As the planet changes, there is the possibility that we will see less fruit production. IFG is focused on breeding varieties that ensure consistent cropping in a changing climate.

• Dr Chris Owens the Lead Plant Breeder at IFG (the world’s largest premium fruit-breeding company), 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, including postharvest evaluations, plant pathology and genetics.

HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

Machine made for orchards Mark Daniel markd@ruralnews.co.nz

WILLIAM GEUZE was brought up on a Gisborne property growing citrus and kiwifruit.

From an early age he had an interest in technology that saw him heading down the diesel mechanic route then chasing the cereal harvest in North America.

On his return to New Zealand in 2015 he spotted an opportunity to service the orchard industry in the Gisborne area.

This led him to form W G Geuze Contracting, which now has five employees and looks after around 150ha of kiwifruit, 20ha of apples and 400ha of citrus crops.

The range of services the business offers includes spraying, mulching, mowing, ripping, grass seeding and fertiliser/compost application. The latter tasks are entrusted to a specialised Giltrap Engineering Orchard spreader that arrived at the business around four years ago.

Based around the Waikato company’s expertise in larger agricultural spreaders, the orchard spreader is built low and narrow to deal with the restricted access typically found in orchards. However, despite its small stature, the unit offers a 2.5 cubic metre capacity from its 4.9m long, 1.66m wide and 1.48m high dimensions.

In the case of Geuze Contracting, the “spreading” season typically runs from around April through to November.

They start out with vermicast applications in the winter, applying granular fertilisers, powdered products – like gypsum and lime – before moving onto compost application, up until the time of flowering later in the year.

The unit features a stainless-steel hopper and – in this case – a tandem axle and large flotation tyres. This helps spread the load and also reduces compaction on the region’s heavy clay soils.

The standard spreading element is based around

twin discs at the rear for use with a wide range of materials.

Options include single or double banding attachments or a double-belt system for compost delivery to the base of trees.

This increases the versatility and extends the operating season of the machine.

Geuze notes that the switch-over of spreading elements only takes around five minutes, making changing between tasks easy and ensuring the machine is always set up for the best results.

In an industry that is increasingly looking for information on application rates – alongside proof of placement – the machine is configured with an automated rate controller. This allows the operator to ‘dial in’ the required application rate, which is maintained irrespective of forward speed.

This is achieved via an integral weighing system, alongside a GPS tracking system that delivers the placement data.

“The Giltrap is such a well-built machine, with some great engineering and attention to detail,” Geuze explains.

“Having done a huge amount of work there are no real signs of wear and tear – even after nearly four years of use.”

He adds that it’s easy to use, extremely accurate, while any operational or service issues can be dealt with by a quick phone call.

“That even runs to Giltraps using a computer simulator system to diagnose any problems we might come across.”

This confidence has resulted in a second spreader arriving – minus its chassis and running gear.

This unit is unique in that it has been converted in-house and mounted to an Atom self-propelled sprayer chassis, to offer a spreading service that treads lightly.

Geuze says this make it more manoeuvrable and more productive, while incorporating the fundamentals of the Giltrap Orchard Spreader.

15

The orchard spreader is built low and narrow to deal with the restricted access typically found in orchards.

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HORTNEWS

NOVEMBER 2021

Benefitting farmers and planet Mark Daniel markd@ruralnews.co.nz

FOLLOWING A decade playing at Super Rugby, NPC and Top 14 level in France, Leon Power decided to hang up his boots and put his life experiences – and a Massey University degree in Agricultural Science – to good use.

Power and his wife Lauren Oehme founded start-up company Nanobubble Agritech. Their vision is to dramatically reduce the volumes of water required for agricultural and horticultural irrigation – benefitting both farmers and the planet.

“Having worked at my uncle’s company which was selling nanobubble technology for hydroponic growing, we consistently saw significant increases in growth rate and yield,” Power says.

“I also observed larger, healthier root masses – alongside better control of Pythium and Phytophthora. I thought, why not use this technology in soil?”

Launched in September 2020, the company’s focus is building systems for larger scale, soil-based horticultural and agricultural crops that are easily integrated to existing irrigation infrastructure. The technology injects high levels of oxygen into irrigation lines, using nanobubbles as the carrier medium – improving water use efficiency and enabling greater production.

He says increased water use efficiency occurs because adding oxygen nanobubbles changes the way water moves through the soil profile, resulting in less moisture loss from percolation. By creating optimal soil moisture

Leon Power and his wife Lauren Oehme have founded start-up company Nanobubble Agritech.

levels, improvements can be seen in plant performance, primarily due to getting more oxygen to soil near the rootzone.

A unique system sees water pass through a

module to transfer air or oxygen gas to water as nanobubbles with an average diameter <100nm (around the same size as a corona virus or 10,000x smaller than diameter of hair). From here, it is

delivered to an existing irrigation system in-line or to a water tank.

Essentially farmers can grow more with less water; easing the problems of water allocation – caused

by increasing orchard development in key growing areas and the effects of climate change, Power explains.

“Tightening legislative environments and – ultimately – the threat of water unavailability is something that can be addressed with more effective water use.”

With early stage operations focused on feasibility, several trials across pasture and apple orchards were undertaken at Massey University with funding from Callaghan Innovation.

“Our first season trials delivered preliminary results that included strong increases in water use efficiency, faster growth rates and improved yields,” Power says. “There was also improved general chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rates.

This suggests a positive impact on the overall

productivity and quality of the crop, so we are looking to replicate and expand these trials, to test the nanobubble impacts further.”

The team is focused on establishing commercial on-farm trials to validate the results at scale, noting that existing nanobubble generators aren’t cost effective for use in large scale soil-based cropping.

“This meant we had to develop a system to transfer the oxygen nanobubbles effectively in typical commercial kiwi or apple orchards, with a reasonable payback period.”

Supported by Sprout Agritech accelerator programme, the collaboration is helping the entrepreneurs better understand the environment they’re operating in – as well as challenging their thinking around bringing the system to market faster.

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