Hort News July 2019

HORTNEWS JULY 2019, ISSUE 5

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

WWW.RURALNEWS.CO.NZ

Hort to hit $10 billion

NEW ZEALAND horticulture is well on track to meet its goal of being a $10 billion industry by 2020.

The industry was valued at $9.2b in the year ending June 30, 2018 – up $400 million on 2017. The increase was driven by strong growth in exports which rose to $5.5b from $5.1b the year before.

According to the latest Fresh Facts, published annually since 1999

by Plant & Food Research, horticultural exports have tripled from $1.7b twenty years ago. They now account for almost 10% of NZ’s total merchandise exports. Kiwifruit and wine are the main drivers.

At least one third (34%) of the export

Study pushes blackcurrants towards ‘superfood’ status – Page 9

revenue is from kiwifruit ($1.86b, up from $1.66b in 2017). Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit is popular in key export markets. It now accounts for about 40% of the crop.

Wine contributed 31% of total horticulture exports ($1.69b, up from $1.66b in 2017). Sauvignon blanc is still the main crop, but other wines – particularly pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris – are increasing.

The apple industry remains very competitive on the world stage. Apple exports rose to $732.9 million in 2018 from $691m in 2017. New cultivars such as Jazz and Envy made for diversity and higher value.

The potato industry, with export

values reaching $115m (up from $93.8m in 2017), has seen a shift from fresh exports to processed products. Onions, peas and squash have remained integral to the NZ horticultural export mix over the years.

NZ horticultural produce was exported to 128 countries. The top five markets are continental Europe, Australia, US, China and Japan.

These markets add up to almost $3.7b and at least two-thirds (68%) of the total exports. Exports to Asia jumped hugely by $912m to $2.068b year-on-year.

“Our industry is well diversified, and it continues to adapt to consumer and market needs to ensure NZ prod-

ucts remain in demand and sell at a premium overseas,” says David Hughes, chief executive Plant & Food Research.

“Part of the premium derives from our innovative and sustainable global reputation.

“We look forward to helping all our sectors realise their potential and deliver a smart green future for New Zealand,” says Mike Chapman, chief executive of Horticulture New Zealand.

“We are delighted to witness the extraordinary growth of our industry over the last 20 years.

“We’re committed to creating an enduring environment where the industry can continue to prosper and achieve our common goal.”

King of the carrots Ohakune farmer and grower Ron Frew started growing carrots in 1967. Since then he and his family have built up a huge farming business which includes growing carrots and potatoes. Frew Farms covers 4000ha and has 18 people working on its various properties. The carrot operation is run by Ron’s son Peter, who grows 15-20ha of carrots every year. Most are sold to an Auckland company, Fresh Direct, and some to Speirs in Marton. – More on the Frews’ impressive farming and growing operation on page 4.

JUST CAN’T WAIT!

Peter Burke

peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

HORTICULTURE NEW Zealand chair Barry O’Neill says he can’t wait until next year when his organisation hosts the Ahuwhenua Trophy competition for the first time.

Until now, the competition has been confined to sheep and beef and dairy. But now the competition will be extended to include horticulture and a new trophy for this is being made in London for next year’s event.

O’Neill at the recent Ahuwhenua Awards dinner in Gisborne described it as an absolute inspiration. It was the first time he’s attended the event.

“I was so pleased to be a part of this wonderful celebration of Maori farming and I just can’t wait until Tauranga next year to celebrate Maori growers and Maori young growers who are going to be part of that event,” he told Hort News.

“The sight of 700 people at this year’s event highlighted for me the passion that goes with the celebration and the commitment to sustainability.”

O’Neill says Maori are a major player in the horticulture sector producing about 10% of all the kiwifruit grown in NZ. He says it is the one of the fastest growing sectors of the horticulture industry and Maori growers are playing a major part in it. He’s looking forward to that continuing.

“As a result of this new competition in the Ahuwhenua Awards, horticulture will now have two Bledisloe Cups,” he said.

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

Could red turn to gold?

Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

THE RESPONSE to the new red variety of kiwifruit has been exceptional, says Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson.

He told Hort News the hugely positive consumer reaction to the red kiwifruit, which Zespri has trialled for the last few years, appears to be driven by the beautiful, vibrant colour of the red and by its very sweet flavour.

“We did a trial marketing campaign with it in Singapore and were sold out within a couple of weeks. We also put 30,000 trays on the NZ market and that also went very well with a great response to the taste and colour,” Mathieson says.

“It is quite different when you see the red colour and that has driven a greater level of interest than we have seen for some time.”

While the red variety has huge poten-

3

tial, Mathieson says a couple of challenges remain. These relate to the shorter storage life of the fruit and its tendency to ripen faster than other varieties of kiwifruit.

However, Zespri hopes these challenges can be overcome. The company is busy analysing the data with a view to deciding whether to commercialise the red variety later this year.

When the red variety was first revealed it was thought that it would

SMALLER, BETTER TASTING CONSUMERS WILL notice two differences in this year’s kiwifruit crop and it’s due to the dry climate conditions of the past season.

Firstly, the kiwifruit will be smaller in size, but compensating for that is the exceptional taste, Mathieson says.

“Certainly, in my 17 years in the company, this is the record taste result we have seen and in the market we have seen strong repeat purchasing,” he told Hort News.

“People are buying the fruit, taking it home, loving it and coming back quickly to buy more and that is generating very strong repeat purchases.”

Mathieson says a challenge Zespri faces is ensuring that consumers can see the value of a better tasting kiwifruit offsetting the smaller size of the product.

Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson with a red kiwifruit.

mainly interest the Asian market where red is a popular colour. But if the storage issue can be overcome, Mathieson predicts kiwi red will also be a hit in the lucrative European market.

“I think historically we thought green did better in Europe than SunGold,

but European consumers have got used to SunGold and we are seeing greater demand for this than for green.

“I think it will be the same for red because there are many consumers looking for a very sweet variety and I think the red flavour will

answer that need.”

Mathieson says they are also developing a new sweeter green variety, which he claims is more ‘ready to eat’. A problem with green kiwifruit is the time it takes to ripen after consumer purchase.

“Our consumers have been telling us for a long

time they want ready-toeat kiwifruit. They love the health and nutrition, but they want it in the most convenient format possible, so it should be ready to eat when they buy it from the supermarket shelves. This is one reason why gold has done so well.”

Strawberry levy out for vote Pam Tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

STRAWBERRY GROWERS are being asked to vote on a proposal to charge them a levy.

Strawberry Growers New Zealand sent out papers on June 14 for voting closing on Friday July 12. Results are expected to be announced on

Wednesday, July 17.

Anthony Rakich, a strawberry grower and chair of Strawberry Growers NZ, told Hort News a united voice on collective issues creates a better operating environment for growers.

“Strawberry Growers NZ’s purpose is to represent and take action on issues which best serve the interests of all strawberry growers.

“Our strategic objective is ‘growing better strawberries together’,” he says.

A levy rate of $26 per 1000 strawberry plants sold is being proposed.

Grower support is being sought to apply to the Minister for Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, for a commodity levies order on strawberries.

Currently the peak body for com-

mercial strawberry growers, Strawberry Growers New Zealand Inc, is by voluntary member funding plus a dividend from its subsidiary NZ Berryfruit Propagating Company Ltd. SGNZ has at least 70 paid-up members who together grow 75% of all fruit.

The levy is expected to raise about $375,000 per year, to be spent on

grower representation in areas important to commercial strawberry growers.

Rakich says it is important all strawberry growers take the opportunity to vote on this proposal.

“We believe that this means of industry funding would be fairer, more inclusive and more transparent for all growers.”

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

Vege growing nice addition to farming business It's easy to see what the small central North Island town of Ohakune is famous for. On the outskirts of the town is a huge carrot and a children's play area based on this popular vegetable.

Peter Burke reports on a vegetable grower who has helped enhance the town's great reputation.

RON FREW started growing carrots in 1967, just after coming home to Ohakune from completing his university degree.

Since then, he and his family have built up a huge farming business which includes growing carrots and potatoes.

They also have a dairy farm and a large sheep and beef property running 25,000 breeding ewes and 650 breeding cows.

In total, the Frews farm 4000ha and have 18

“The highest packout rate you will achieve in the season is around 70%, but normally packout rates are in the range of 50-60% of harvested tonnage,” he told Hort News. “In our case, all the rejects are fed out to our own livestock.”

Frew has seen huge advances in technology and new varieties of seed, which make the growing of these vegetables much easier and scientific.

“In the early days [of planting] we had the

people working on their various properties.

The carrot operation is run by Ron’s son Peter who grows between 15-20ha of carrots every year. Most are sold to an Auckland company, Fresh Direct, and some to Speirs in Marton. Small lots also go to Turners and Growers in Hastings and Tauranga.

According to Frew, carrots are relatively easy to grow and are prolific croppers, but there is a very high reject rate.

Ohakune’s Ron Few and his family have built up a huge farming business which includes growing carrots and potatotes.

‘Ohakune carrot tin’ – an old baking soda tin with holes in it set into a

frame,” he explains.

“Now we all have precision air seeders and you

CONSENT PROCESS DOES NOT WASH AS FOR most growers, crop washing is an integral part of the Frew business.

The Frews have a washing and grading set-up which services all the carrots and potatoes they grow. Their simple system ran successfully for 30 years without any complaints from Horizons Regional Council, but this all changed when they were required to renew their consent.

The issue is that during the washing process, the soil off the carrots and potatoes has to be separated from the water and settled before being spread back on the land Frew says the consent process got bloody ridiculous. “When we came to renew our consent, Horizons were so busy they employed a consultant to do that work

The Frews washing and grading set-up ran successfully for 30 years without any complaints from the Horizons Regional Council, but this all changed when they were required to renew their consent.

and it was like starting from scratch all over again,” he told Hort News.

“We had to show that what we were doing was ok and this took us weeks. We then had to photograph the whole plant and explain every single little detail.

“It should have been just an automatic consent renewal because we had no received no abatement notices. I guess that’s how it is in the world we live in now.”

Frew says he now employs his daughter full time as an administrator to handle

mainly compliance issues on their farms.

“Not a week goes by when someone comes to tell us what to do and many of these people have never been on a farm. This is becoming an industry in its own right,” he claims.

can basically plant whatever number of seeds to the hectare that you want.

In our case we sow about a million seeds per hectare.”

But it’s potatoes that dominate Frew’s commercial growing operation. Each year, they plant about 100ha in spuds to be sold as washed potatoes to the Foodstuffs supermarket chain and other independent retailers.

Both crops are planted October to December and are harvested February to September.

Frews maintain their huge land holding because carrots and potatoes cannot be grown in the same ground year after year because of the risk of disease, poor yields and a huge drop in quality. Ten years may pass before another crop of carrots or potatoes can be grown in the same piece of land. Swede, brussel sprouts, kale or oats usually follow – with addi-

tional years in pasture.

“When you wash a potato like we do you expose every skin blemish, and skin finish is paramount when you are potatoes for washing,” Frew explains. “If you crop successively, you very quickly get a build-up of soil pathogens which ruin the quality of the crop.”

He says some growers in NZ do grow potatoes or carrots in the same place in successive years, but he believes that in his case a long rotation is the answer.

Climate change is notable in Ohakune. In the past, the cold winter temperatures have been important to the Frew family’s operation, as the cold ground essentially operates as a fridge or a cold store.

But in recent years, says Frew, warm spells have caused regrowth of the potatoes left in the ground and not eaten by sheep or cattle.

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HORTNEWS

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Grower group still busy after 100 years Pam Tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

A GROUP of vegetable growers centred on Pukekohe in South Auckland say regulatory changes could be do-or-die for their growing enterprises.

The Pukekohe Vegetable Growers Association (PVGA) celebrated its 100th anniversary last year and vice president Kylie Faulkner says the advocacy role of the group is crucial.

“There are a lot of changes happening now with the Resource Management Act, the National Water Policy Statement and how the different councils are approaching those rules,” she told HortNews.

“Plan Change 1 in the Waikato will have a huge impact on growers and also Auckland is looking at its water strategy.

“The impact of those decisions can have a big

SOME ARE JAFAS, SOME ARE NOT tap into Horticulture NZ resources, but a lot of volunteer time is involved.

“As individual growers we need to ensure our voices are being heard. We try to fight the fights that we can.

“We are lucky because a lot of us have cooperative employers or are shareholders in a business or have a vested interest to ensure we can keep growing.

SEVERAL GROWERS in the Franklin area have properties that straddle both the Waikato and Auckland districts.

“It is just an invisible line and in some cases could be the difference between one paddock or one road. So that is why we are heavily involved with both councils,” says Faulkner.

They have an executive committee of about 20 growers and

impact on whether we will be able to continue to grow or not. We need to ensure as a group we have got a strong voice and we are keeping on top of any change.”

PVGA started out a century ago as a small group of growers in the Pukekohe area that would meet to discuss farming and related matters.

It has now grown to a large association, stretching from Warkworth in

the north to the southern Waikato.

They have about 230 members and most are intergenerational farmers – three to four generations of a family, says Faulkner, who is compliance manager with Sutherland Produce Ltd. “The purpose of the association has adjusted over the years and now has a high advocacy role,” she says.

“We are focusing as a

group on sustainability, health and safety for our employees and customers and a lot of compliance issues with regards to resource management, sustainability for water and land use.

“It is harder for individual growers to have a voice so as a group we are able to submit on things at regional levels with council and have bigger discussions. We are also supported by Horticulture

Pukekohe Vegetable Growers Association vice president Kylie Faulkner.

New Zealand.”

The members firms grow a huge range of produce.

“The Pukekohe region is unique in being able to grow year-round and we are relatively frost free, have volcanic soils and good access to quality water,” Faulkner says.

“So this region can

grow a lot of product that is not grown elsewhere. It is probably one of the only places in the world where you can grow green vegetables all year around. We can do things like new season carrots and potatoes. We also have indoor cropping – tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers. Some of our

members in the Waikato grow melons, there’s Asian greens, onions, all sorts of different products.”

Last year Deloitte published a report entitled Pukekohe -The Food Hub. “That gave good backing as to the percentage of crops that come from our area that feed New Zealand, and told how important it is we are able to keep doing that.”

The report found Pukekohe is a small area – just 0.01% of the size of Auckland. And although it accounts for just 3.8% of NZ land under fruit and vegetable production, it contributes to 26% of the nation’s value of production of vegetables and a lesser proportion of fruit.

The bulk of the Pukekohe hub’s produce goes to Auckland. The city is expected to have 2.3 million people by 2043 – up 37% on 2018.

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

Growing plants for the whole country Nigel Malthus

THE WHOLESALE horticulture business is incredibly rewarding, says Zealandia Horticulture’s national general manager Pedro Wylaars.

“We only create good, that’s what I like about it when you walk through the loading dock and see the product that’s going out,” he says.

“Gardeners are passionate people and you know that there’s a huge amount of pleasure they’re getting out of the stuff we produce.”

But Zealandia is not just for home gardeners.

A large part of the busi-

ness is producing seedlings for commercial growers NZ-wide.

Although the branding might not be evident on the supermarket shelves, it is no exaggeration to say most NZers are probably eating Zealandia produce regularly.

Zealandia produces hundreds of millions of plants annually. It employs about 250 people nationwide and operates primarily out of five large climate-controlled glasshouse complexes, two in South Auckland and three on the outskirts of Christchurch.

“Our ambition is to supply the market from

Cape Reinga to the Bluff,” Wylaars told Hort News.

The firm does not sell direct to the public.

Instead its commercial division supplies growers of broadacre (outdoor) crops including brassicas, celery, etc, and protected (glasshouse) lines like tomatoes, capsicums and cucumbers.

Its retail division produces seedlings for home gardeners to buy from major national chains and many independent garden centres. Retail also includes house plants and some novelty and addedvalue products such as gift-wrapped cyclamens for birthdays and moth-

ers’ day.

Zealandia is among the country’s biggest wholesale nurseries, but Wylaars points out that there’s plenty of competition in both the home garden and commercial sectors. The company does not do trees or shrubs, but is set apart by its diversity of range – 1400 separate lines – and an emphasis on national logistics. An in-house fleet of 20 large temperature-controlled truck-andtrailer units fan out across the country several times a week.

Showing Hort News around the group headquarters at Belfast, just

A variety of lettuce plants in the glasshouses at Zealandia’s headquarters at Belfast, near Christchurch. RURAL NEWS GROUP

north of Christchurch, Wylaars explains that seed supply is now a global industry and most seeds are imported.

Life begins in the “very controlled” environment of a germination chamber. The plants then go through several stages of progressive repotting, hardening off and packaging – some stages automated, but some done by hand. Zealandia mixes up its own potting medium with its own proprietary machines, using peat from a Southland peat

mine it shares an interest in.

“We spend money on genetics and potting mix.

If you’re going to cut corners on cheap seed or cheaper genetics or cut corners on cheap potting mix, you’re going to end up with problems,” Wylaars says.

Plants are rotated though a variety of large glasshouses, all with some variation on growing lights, opening roofs, hot-water heating pipes and irrigation systems.

The most modern sec-

tions have heating and irrigation systems built into the concrete floors.

“There’s as much money spent below ground as above ground in this facility so every drop of water that we get, the only way it leaves the business is by transpiring though the plant. We’ve got a closed-loop water process.

“We’ve got great bore water here, but the water that we use doesn’t go to waste. It can go through the crop time and time and time again.”

PRECISION GROWING KEY TO SUCCESS BOTH BELFAST and Zealandia’s new facility at Clevedon, Auckland, use biomass boilers which run on wood chips.

These burn sawmill waste, forestry slash or, potentially, sustainable plantings grown for the purpose.

Wylaars says the boilers are “a complete game changer” and allow staff to use as much heat as they need.

“If those greenhouses now get too humid, which affects the quality of the plants – all this is computerised – they can ramp the temperature up for a stint, open the vents, purge out all that high humidity then shut the vents again.

“If you were heating by electricity there’s no way you could say ‘open the door’ – you just couldn’t afford it.”

Plant hygiene is vital, and they have an integrated pest management system with beneficial insects

Pedro Wylaars in one of the glasshouses at Zealandia’s headquarters at Belfast, near Christchurch. The plants are mostly commercial broadacre vegetable seedlings. RURAL NEWS GROUP

CUPPA LEADS TO A BIG BUSINESS

Workers manually repotting beet seedlings at Zealandia’s headquarters at Belfast, near Christchurch.

RURAL NEWS GROUP

including bumble bees to minimise pesticide use.

“The most important thing is developing a strong root system so that when a plant goes out into the environment to the commercial customer or the home gardener it must [thrive]. We can’t produce soft mushy plants that die in the garden.”

Wylaars says they practise “precision growing.”

“It’s a bit like our boiler – every aspect of the combustion is measured monitored and managed – and

it’s the same with the plants.

“There’s a whole pile of metrics that get recorded every morning.

“The growing team review where the plants are going and what process they’re going to follow, and they can make a plan in the morning and that can change in the afternoon if the plants have reacted in a different way to what they expected.

“You need to be dynamic, you need to be fluid and you can’t get a set of instructions to say ‘this is how you grow this plant’.”

Zealandia is also the NZ agent for Grodan Rockwool, an inert growing medium made of basalt rock in a process similar to making candyfloss, which is ideal for precision growing and widely used in its operations.

Indicating a large shipment of rockwool tomato plants, Wylaars said it enabled growers to reduce the gap in production by a week or two in a process called Power Propagation, which had seen a significant lift in production for its commercial rockwool customers.

PEDRO WYLAARS’ first involvement with the business was as a 12-yearold working in a Christchurch plant nursery after school.

Then in 1991, working in the same nursery in his pre-entry year before attending Lincoln University, he learned that the owner wanted out for health reasons. Pedro and his brother Vince bought 50% of the business in a deal made “over a cup of tea.” The third brother, Paul, later joined them.

That gave them two major nurseries in the northern outskirts of Christchurch, including what is now the group headquarters.

A merger with Graham Windross’s Mt Wellington Nurseries, Auckland, 10 years ago brought them and their customers the synergies and advantages of a nation-wide operation.

“He was twice the size of us. But one plus two didn’t equal three, it equalled five or six,” Wylaars told Hort News.

“We ended up with double-digit growth for about three or four years straight with just the dynamics of being a national supply chain.”

Later, the group bought Zealandia South and Zealandia North, separate companies that were themselves conglomerations of various garden chains. With them came a new name.

“The Zealandia Horticulture that we’ve got today is the culmination of 10 or 12 different businesses that have come under that one umbrella,” Wylaars explains “We can sell as many plants in a day now as what we used to in a whole year. So, the scale of food production – and even what some of the retailers can push through some of their garden centres – is absolutely phenomenal.”

HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

Cherry investments ripe for picking Nigel Malthus

CENTRAL OTAGO’S love affair with cherries persists, with two separate new cherry orchards being planned by Albertown-based Hortinvest.

Hortinvest is in the final stages of subscribing investors to the two $15.5 million, 80ha projects, and planting is expected to begin this month.

One is on the Lindis Peaks Station, near Tarras, and the other on Mt Pisa Station, overlooking Lake Dunstan.

Orchard and project manager Ross Kirk told Hort News that both projects are nearly fully subscribed, following widespread interest from a range of individual, corporate and foreign investors.

Hortinvest is run by Ross and his wife Sharon Kirk.

Both have been in horti-

culture “all their lives,” Ross as a grower and Sharon first selling cherries for Turners and Growers in the late 1980s and early 90s.

They run a one-stopshop business model in which they partner with landowners to plan, set up and manage cherry orchards, also packing and marketing the product.

The Kirks say other business models might arrange the finance but have other parties running the orchard – with third party packhouses and marketers then handling the fruit.

“In our model we take the fruit to market and we return the returns right back to the original investor. We are the packhouse and we are the marketer,” Kirk explains.

“The other point of difference is that when you

invest in the land you will eventually be part of the packhouse and the marketing company.”

The company recently set up a cherry orchard on a similar model for the Tarras Cherry Corporation. That 40ha devel-

opment is now planted and will be harvesting in 2020-21.

“The opportunity’s there because there are people wanting to diversify their land and go into new products.”

Hortinvest’s Ross and Sharon Kirk. SUPPLIED/ CENTRAL LAKES PHOTOGRAPHY

OWNER COMMITTED MT PISA Station manager Shane MacMillan says diversification in farming is always a good thing, although sometimes limited in what is possible, depending on the nature of the land.

Mt Pisa (pronounced Py-sa) has been in the MacMillan family since Shane’s grandfather started farming Merino sheep in 1924. The cherry project will be its first foray into horticulture.

“This is a decision made by our family with the help of our advisory board over some time, and has been driven by many factors, such as the need for succession planning,” he told Hort News.

“Cherry orchards grow all around us and we know cherries from Central Otago deliver high returns on the global market. From an agricultural perspective, producing a cherry crop in three to four years is a short timeframe.”

MacMillan says the diversification is not a decision his family made lightly, but they investigated it thoroughly and are excited about the future.

“There are other horticultural opportunities available to agriculturalists in New Zealand, but Hortinvest’s model is unique and it’s hard to beat its depth of experience in cherries,” he says.

Mt Pisa Station owns 4600ha in the region, all with access to the Clutha River via the Pisa Irrigation Scheme. The 80ha for the cherry project is currently used to graze sheep, fatten lambs and grow supplementary winter feed.

The site is gently sloping with free draining soils, which MacMillan says is perfectly suited to growing cherries. “It tends not to get frost because it’s on a terrace and cold air flows like water on either side.”

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ANIMAL HEALTH

NEWS

What makes staff join and stay? PAGE 12

TO ALL FARMERS, FOR NOVEMBER 20, 2018: ISSUE

665

Don’t get ticked off this – or next!. PAGE 28

DIRA out of date? PAGE

NEWS season

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RAIN WATCH

Managing the wet PAGE 17

Lewis Road Creamery makes inroads into US market.

PAGE 16

NOVEMBER 13, 2018

ALL FARMERS

ISSUE 412 // www.dairynews

SLOPE SCREEN SEPARATOR

Effluent Expo preview PAGE 25

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NZ’s Brexit blast!

of of sheepmeat and 14,000 a legal agreement tonnes – and this was pretty to under- are just throwing it doesn’t beef to Britain WTO agreement. They need agreement. out the window and saying he says. much a UK/NZ free trade PETER BURKE stand they have obligations, told Rural News. joined the EU, NZ clearly that matter,” McIvor matter to When Britain The WTO agreement specified “Well it absolutely does huge concessions and the have access for 228,000 deal under had to make executive has NZ would us. It is a legally binding parties need to remember BEEF + Lamb NZ’s chief sheepmeat and 1300 tonnes sides made other two Britain and tonnes of WTO rules and both says. made a stinging attack on and that this could be spread they need to this, he to forget their plans to of beef choices at the time and “These people are tending the European Union over the whole of the EU. for sheep- flexibly across honour that.” exporting sheep and introduce inflexible quotas and EU are saying that the joined that we have been when Brexit But the UK McIvor says before Britain EU for over 130 when Brexit meat to the two entities in beef products to the Community quota will be split 50/50 Economic TO PAGE 3 the European occurs. sending at least 300,000 to have finally takes place. the UK 1973, NZ was Sam McIvor says they seem “It seems like the EU and over a “conveniently short memories” and NZ via deal struck by the EU, UK (WTO) the World Trade Organisation EU. when Britain joined the talks in McIvor, just home from farming Canada and Europe with the EU and groups and officials, says ignoring prothe UK are completely the original tests by NZ to honour

peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

On show

Miller-Brown holds his AMBERLEY FARMER Charles judge Symon Howard, White Dorper ewe as livestock the attributes that won her of Lawrence, explains the on ewe with lamb at foot class, top prize in the breed’s in Zealand Agricultural Show the first day of the New that the ewe had a real Christchurch. Howard remarked She “a very proud sort of sheep. nice carcase and looked to be here.” looked like she wanted what you breeder to me, and that’s “She looked like a real want in your females.” and of the ewes was very good Howard said the standard the class was closely fought. ones at a wee bit mixed but the “The ram hoggets were three very good sheep.” the top end were two or year’s show this to sheep 18 Miller-Brown had brought to a Southdowns, and was off including Suffolks and still his second ribbon so far, good start, the win being judging. early on the first day of New the as year this renamed The Canterbury Show, is the largest in the country Zealand Agricultural Show, sunny weather with a cooling and had opened to fine people were expected breeze. As many as 100,000 three days. through the gates over

Secure the health of your

ANOTHER ATTACK environTHE MULTI-NATIONAL mental activist group Greenpeace Zealand is again targeting the New calling for farming sector, this time fertila ban on the use of nitrogen isers. the last The group has spent few years blaming the agricultural country’s sector for polluting the campaignwaterways and rivers, criticising ing against irrigation and gas emisagriculture’s greenhouse sions. the two Now in its sights are co-operfarmer-owned fertiliser Ballance, atives Ravensdown and sell 98% which Greenpeace claims of all fertiliser used in NZ. “Chemical nitrogen fertiliser industrial is the fuel that drives camdairying,” claims Greenpeace onto paigner Gen Toop. “It is spread NZ’s dairy farms in ever-increasing and more amounts to grow more grass for too many cows.”

Toop says the use of nitrogen seven-fold increased has fertiliser since 1990. is a “Chemical nitrogen fertiliser climate and the for double-whammy number our rivers. It increases the greenof cows, which increases pollution and house gas emissions it directly of rivers. On top of that leaches emits nitrous oxide and nitrate into waterways.” accuse Toop and Greenpeace of “profitRavensdown and Ballance destruction”. ing off environmental “It’s time the Government chemreigned them in and banned ical nitrogen fertiliser.”

BOARDROOM BACKLASH

Fonterra farmers vote in Leonie Guiney, Peter McBride as directors but reject two board nominees, triggering another election for third director.

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PRINT ENTRIES – old habits die hard Of the total unique entries, 42% of them filled in the paper form at the bottom of the newspaper ad they saw in Rural News or Dairy News, cut it out, put it in an envelope and posted it to us at their own expense. As we saw in the 2018 Rural Media Habits Survey, the rules are a bit different for rural.

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

9

Study confirms blackcurrant’s ‘superfood’ status Pam Tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

A JUST published study by scientists at Plant & Food Research is further pushing blackcurrants towards ‘superfood’ status.

The latest study found an extract from New Zealand blackcurrants could benefit people with an

active lifestyle.

The study, recently published in Frontiers in Nutrition, adds to growing research on the benefits of anthocyanin-rich NZ blackcurrants for exercise recovery and post-exercise immune function.

“The growing body of research suggests that consumption of NZ blackcurrants may have real

Plant and Food Resarch’s Dr Roger Hurst.

UNIQUE TO NZ THE INDUSTRY claims NZ blackcurrants have levels of anthocyanins that are the highest in the world.

They also have a unique combination of anthocyanins that aren’t found in any other fruit or berry.

Research shows that the unique combination of anthocyanins in NZ blackcurrants activates the human body’s own cellular protection and defence systems.

A new study of the minimum serving size required found that consumption of 1.6mg of NZ blackcurrant anthocyanins per kg of bodyweight one hour before exercise had positive effects on exercise recovery.

Roger Hurst says that serving size is quite low compared to other studies in this area.

“We have worked out with the industry how you translate that for the consumer. It is equivalent to 21gm of frozen fruit, 14ml of a juice concentrate or 3gm of extract powder.”

The other message in this particular study is the mechanisms of action.

“It is not by antioxidant mechanism as most people would think. It gets complex but it is about activating defence pathways in the human body and adaptive mechanisms.”

Previous studies by Plant & Food Research found that NZ blackcurrants could promote a positive mood and the desire to exercise for longer. More intervention studies are underway.

Funding for the study was provided by the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

benefits for those living an active lifestyle,” says Dr Roger Hurst, biomedical scientist who leads the team at Plant & Food Research.

Hurst told Hort News there is a fair amount of research into blackcurrants and a range of health benefits.

“We have been working with industry for... about 12 years or so, and the science we have developing... highlights those benefits as catchable under a ‘lifestyle’ banner,” he says.

“We are working with the industry and helping them with their marketing to create new

products in this new direction in a strategic cohesive way.”

Hurst says the latest publication is instrumental in starting that process because it is revealing some of the science that underpins that lifestyle assisting benefit.

“The work is on an extract and the industry makes a number of different extracts. But it isn’t really about the extract itself. They are doing science also on juices and fruit.”

A health claim for blackcur-

rants is also being submitted to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

“That claim will try to define bio-equivalents.

We know what the actives are so it doesn’t matter how you deliver the actives – it doesn’t

matter what format the product is in. As long as you deliver those actives you will get these benefits.

“We are helping with marketing, we are doing the science, we are creating a new website for the industry and underpinning all that are publications. The last one published was in 2009.”

NZ blackcurrants have levels of anthocyanins that are the highest in the world. PHOTO: PLANT&FOOD RESEARCH.

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

Attracting more young Kiwis to work in the horticulture sector A NEWLY appointed horticultural regional careers co-ordinator now working in Hawkes Bay is intent on seeing young Kiwis pursue careers in the industry.

Emma Boase is working to attract young people to join, and study

Massey University to connect horticultural students with local exporters and growers.

“This is an industry with huge potential,” Boase says.

“Everyone is so positive saying ‘yes’ to growing great careers and jobs

for, the booming Hawke’s Bay apple and pear industry.

Four more regional co-ordinators will be appointed.

Boase has hit the ground running, working with New Zealand Apples & Pears Inc (NZAPI) and

for us young New Zealanders.

“I’m here in Hawke’s Bay to show and bring young Kiwis like me to the region where it’s all happening, supporting them to discover what’s on offer, how they can learn, where they can

work and to help them go for it.

“I want to see young people seize these opportunities so they can reach their potential and be part of a growing and dynamic horticultural industry now and in the future.”

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Hawkes Bay regional horticultural careers co-coordinator Emma Boase.

“I want to see young people seize these opportunities so they can reach their potential and be part of a growing and dynamic horticultural industry now and in the future.”

vincial Growth Fund investment, announced in May by the Minister of Regional Economic Development Shane Jones, will fund five regional cocoordinators.

NZAPI capability development manager Erin Simpson says it means that for the first time the apple and pear industry has a complete education and career pathway offering an entry point for every level and role.

“The new regional coordinators will enable us to better connect to education providers so we can share a positive story about horticulture,” she said.

The scheme was devised by the Horticulture Capability Group (HCG) representing apples and pears, kiwifruit, avocados, vegetables, Hawke’s Bay Fruit Growers Association and Horticulture NZ, working with the government across horticulture sectors and regions.

The HCG has been identifying and devel-

oping ways to meet joint objectives for permanent, better paying skilled jobs for NZers in the different sectors with long term career prospects.

They expect at least 2300 jobs in the next 10 years in the apple industry alone, Simpson says.

“It’s a challenge getting young people to see us as a great industry that offers them a bright and rewarding future.”

She believes it will make a huge difference to the sector to have a resourced team dedicated to increasing the uptake of industry training and tertiary study, including diplomas and the new degree, and working in major horticultural regions.

The various co-ordinators, working in Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu (through Massey University), upper South Island and Otago, will be responsible for connecting and supporting NZers in study and full-time work and in careers where they can earn while they learn.

HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

11

Supporting careers in horticulture Mike Chapman

THERE’S A big challenge in getting the horticulture careers message out to school students looking for the opportunity for an exciting career.

We’ve learned a few lessons over the years about how to encourage people into horticulture and we are now putting this into practice through a series of initiatives.

The driving force behind these is a joint venture of horticultural associations that have combined their resources to get the biggest impact. In that group are New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers, NZ Apples and Pears, NZ Avocado Growers, Vegetables NZ, Hawke’s Bay Fruit Growers Association and Horticulture NZ. Collectively we work to make a real difference to everyone who wants a career in horticulture. But first we need to get the word out about the career options, develop tailored training for each applicant and link them with employers.

When promoting career options for intending school leavers it’s very important we engage with parents.

They also need to understand the full range of opportunities.

Collectively we work to make a real difference to everyone who wants a career in horticulture. But first we need to get the word out about the career options, develop tailored training for each applicant and link them with employers.

Mike Chapman

Often the question is: why horticulture? The answer is easy: we’re a rapidly growing, innovative industry and we produce healthy, locally grown food.

That’s just what consumers want.

Technology will play an increasingly important part in horticulture’s future and that is already requiring a whole

range of new skills.

The Ministry for Primary Industries predicts hort’s export growth will be 15.7% to June this year and it will not stop there. The demand for our product from overseas consumers is only getting stronger.

In addition, the skills gained

Gypsum delivers Gold for Kiwi Orchardists

through horticulture have wide application across the rest of the primary sector and indeed all industries that support the primary sector.

To make all this happen, the Provincial Growth Fund has stepped up with at least $1 million to create a network of career progression managers NZwide whose role is to find these jobseekers no matter where they come from, excite them about horticulture and develop their pathway into a long and rewarding career.

The industry is matching the Government’s commitment through cash, resources and employment. As Minister Shane Jones said about this valuable support, “through our investment we expect to see a marked improvement in the amount of sustainable employment opportunities for domestic workers to meet our goal of having a fit-for-pur-

pose workforce that meets industry standards”.

And that is our goal too. We want to employ Kiwis and we want to give them a great career. We want to get them into horticulture apprenticeships with the Primary Industry Training Organisation and we want them to do the horticulture degree at Massey University.

We want them to take on whatever training is best suited to their needs and ability and to progressively develop their skills as they work in horticulture.

As the minister said, we have the tools to meet face to face with our workforce of the future and put in place the development programme to harness their skills. We are tapping into this pipeline to benefit our young and older people in NZ’s regions.

• Mike Chapman is chief executive of Horticulture NZ

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

Pupils buzzing about careers

ABOUT 280 western Bay of Plenty students went on the annual Cultivate Your Career event in May, getting inspired by the region’s horticulture industry.

The event introduces

secondary school students to industry professionals to learn about the skills they need to transition from school into horticulture employment.

Students toured local companies such as Xerra

Space Observation Institute, where they investigated how moisture in soil can be measured from space, and Savvy HR where they learnt about how and where their attributes might fit into

the workplace.

Event organiser Renee Fritchley of NZKGI (NZ Kiwifruit Growers Inc) says Cultivate Your Career displays the careers available in scientific, technical and commercial areas.

Students from Tauranga Boys and Te Puke High Schools at the Cultivate Your Career day.

RURAL MEDIA HABITS

THE FACTS! ● 88% of farmers read rural print at least weekly ● 79% of farmers say print is their preferred format ● 82% of farmers are influenced by rural print ● 77% of farmers use rural print for business and research ● 74% of farmers pay attention to the adverts in rural print ● 90% of farmers act as a result of reading rural print The Rural Media Habits Survey 2018 is independent research conducted by Perceptive Research on behalf of the majority of rural publishers. Participants were screened to exclude lifestylers and ensure a robust sample of 820 Commercial Farmers. Results show the majority of farmers read rural print, find it highly relevant to their businesses, and that it influences their purchasing decisions more than all other media.

Per•ceptive

“We love surprising students about the cutting-edge industries in Bay of Plenty.

“The science lab at Eurofins and the automation at Apata and MPAC are great examples of how the kiwifruit industry is progressing into the future.”

Students went by bus from schools in Tauranga, Te Puke, Katikati and Waihi. Each bus had two industry ambassadors

aboard who talked about their own careers in horticulture.

Students spent an hour at each business, seeing honey processing at BeeNZ and the latest in packing technology at Jenkins Freshpac Systems.

They also learnt about the associated careers available in the industry.

A second Cultivate Your Career event will take place later in the year.

HORT CONFERENCE TO FOCUS ON TRENDS GLOBAL FOOD trends will be a key element of the Horticulture Conference 2019, ‘Our Food Future’, to be held from July 31 - August 2 at Mystery Creek, Hamilton.

The keynote speakers on the second day will lead a session on global food trends.

Food trend expert Professor David Hughes will team up with his Kiwi namesake from Plant & Food Research to explore a changing food and consumer landscape.

They will suggest what these changes offer New Zealand and what growers can do to make the most of them. Other conference highlights will include: • Sir Peter Gluckman, former science advisor to the Prime Minister, on the future of science in growing smart food including genetics and GE • The hands-on and interactive ‘carnival of demonstrations’ showcasing new technologies • Minister of Finance Grant Robertson on what the Wellbeing Budget means for NZ and horticulture • The opportunities and challenges of consumer trust with RaboResearch’s Tim Hunt • Panel discussion on the growing popularity of plant-based diets with food writer Niki Bezzant, TV chef Brett McGregor and Plant & Food’s Jocelyn Eason • The future of our workforce and need for diversity with GirlBoss founder Alexia Hilbertidou and Dr Charlotte Severne of Te Tumu Paeroa • What climate change policy means for what, where and how we grow.

For more information visit: https://conferences. co.nz/hortnz2019/

HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

Kiwifruit breaks through the $3 billion mark Pam Tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

ZESPRI’S OPERATING revenue from global kiwifruit sales and licence release income exceeded $3 billion for the first time last season.

Zespri’s net profit after tax increased to $179.8 million from $101.8m in 2017-18, reflecting the strong season results above. This was boosted by revenue from ongoing SunGold licence releases and increased revenue from new cultivar royalties.

Zespri sold 167.2m trays of kiwifruit in 201819, a 21% increase on the 138.6m trays sold in the previous season. Revenue from global kiwifruit sales and SunGold licence

releases increased by 26% to $3.14b.

Zespri chair Bruce Cameron says growers and their communities are benefitting from increasing demand for Zespri kiwifruit and from the industry’s growth to drive and meet that demand.

“Consumers around the world are increasingly embracing healthier products and want more of our kiwifruit because they know it is a convenient way to get their daily nutrition and because it tastes great,” says Cameron.

“That’s evident in the increased volumes of both Green and SunGold kiwifruit Zespri sold last season which has driven

record average returns per hectare for both categories.

“While SunGold also returned record levels per

Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson is picking more growth for the company in the year ahead.

MORE EXPANSION THIS YEAR ZESPRI CHIEF executive Dan Mathieson says it’s been another strong year for Zespri and the NZ kiwifruit industry, with strong growth forecast again this coming year.

“Our ambition is to help drive greater value through growing new markets and increase our penetration in existing ones,” she says.

“We’re continuing to see strong growth in our largest markets, including Japan, China and Spain, and making real progress in newer ones like the US. “We’re also broadening our sales channels and getting closer to the consumer to help us understand what they want and what we can do bette r, and focusing on improving our environmental and social impact which is an important part of our purpose and brand led strategy.

“We’re proud of our performance and excited about our prospects, but we know there’s more we can do which is why we’ll be working hard to do even better next year.”

tray, Green returns per tray were down slightly because of higher than expected volumes which led to an extended sales window and associated increases in quality costs.

“The sustained growth of the industry is really encouraging and the increase in average returns is helping growers meet increasing operational costs including labour.

“Zespri’s ongoing success reflects the important partnerships we have and continue to build with our customers, distributors, post-harvest operators and growers.

It’s a strong endorsement of our 12 month supply strategy and ambition to market the world’s leading portfolio of kiwifruit year round,” Cameron says.

Total fruit and service payments (including the loyalty premium) to New Zealand grow-

ers was up 24% to $1.82b, while average orchard gate returns to growers increased by 6% to $63,622/ha for Green Kiwifruit, by 28% to $145,991/ha for SunGold, by 40% to $73,350/ ha for Green Organic and by 14% to $44,549/ha for Sweet Green.

Gross revenue of $192.6m was generated by the 2018-19 round of SunGold licence release. This was the second in a five year programme of annually releasing 700ha of SunGold conventional and 50ha of SunGold organic licence to NZ growers (subject to annual review).

Zespri charges a royalty of 3% to licensed growers which is split between Zespri and Plant & Food Research. Zespri’s share of royalties was $28.4m,

13

Zespri chairman Bruce Cameron says NZ growers are benefiting from increasing demand for their Kiwifruit.

an increase of 37% on the previous year, reflecting higher volumes and value earned on sales this season.

The total dividend per share in the 2018-19 financial year is expected to be $0.92 versus $0.50 in 2017-18. These divi-

dend figures take into account the impacts of the targeted share issue/ buy back and three for two share split transactions during the financial year which were aimed to better align the ownership of shares with Zespri growers.

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

A sustainable solution to a sticky problem A HAWKE’S Bay apple grower is the first southern hemisphere apple exporter to start using compostable PLU (price look up)stickers on its apples.

PLU stickers enable retail checkout staff to easily identify the fruit. But they add a lot of plastic waste: about 1 billion PLU stickers are used on New Zealand apples each year.

The country’s largest organic apple grower, Bostock NZ, is trialing compostable PLU stickers for its apples this year.

The company’s organic supply manager Heidi Stiefel says the trial has succeeded and more compostable stickers will be used next season.

“We are using the compostable stickers for a European customer and on the large Braeburn apples targeted for the US and the local NZ market.

“The sticker laminate is 100% industrial compostable and so is the backing the stickers come on. There are thousands of metres of backing, so it is good that it is now compostable material instead of plastic.

“The sticker trial has been successful and we have had no technical issues. We will work with the supplier to roll out more compostable stickers on our apples in 2020.”

Stiefel says the company would prefer not to use PLU stickers, but a lot of customers and retailers require them for identification, especially US, Asian and NZ customers.

“Without PLU stickers, consumers would not be able to easily identify organic apples from conventional apples, so they are necessary.”

The compostable sticker meets FDA and EU regulations for direct food contact and breaks down in industrial compost.

She says Bostock NZ has also been trialing other sustainable and compostable packaging options on its products.

“We are continually looking for more sustainable packaging options and are excited to be the first apple grower in the southern hemisphere to trial compostable PLU stickers this season.”

NZ consumers will struggle to see the difference between the compostable sticker and a plastic sticker because they look the same.

“However next year we expect the home compostable sticker, which is being developed, to look quite different,” Stiefel says.

“We want to invest in better environmental practices and a compostable PLU sticker on our apples is a good start.”

Borstock New Zealand’s Heidi Stiefel displays the compostable stickers.

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

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

It is the complete solution for readers and advertisers, covering every aspect of the wider horticulture industry – news, agribusiness, management, markets, machinery and technology.

HORTNEWS

The secret behind success – Page 6

ISSUE 1

! g n i k s i t i u r f i w Ki WS.CO.NZ WWW.RURALNE

OCTOBER 2018

Peter Burke

peterb@ruralnew

s.co.nz

by consumers to A UNIVERSAL trend er lives is driving live better and healthi Zealand kiwifruit. the demand for New ve Don Mathieexecuti chief Zespri fits perfectly into son says kiwifruit strong demand that scenario, causing in all its markets. growth has Mathieson says sales

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

Mathieson told Hort

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

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

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

7 – See more page

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

YOUR HORT NEWS!

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

Rural News Distributed with regions, in key horticulture the only be will Hort News tion publica ndent indepe horticulcovering the entire tural industry. it.

We hope you enjoy Adam Fricker General manager Rural News Group

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HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

NZ invented robotic apple packer is a winner A TAURANGA agricultural robotics and automation company recently won two awards at the 2019 NZ HiTech Awards.

Robotics Plus Ltd’s robotic Āporo apple packer won the NZTE Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution, and the company was named Callaghan Innovation HiTech Kamupene Māori o te Tau - Māori Company of the Year.

The awards capped a successful 12 months in which Robotics Plus Ltd (RPL) launched its first commercial products and received a $US8 million investment from Yamaha Motor Co Ltd (Japan).

Co-founder and chairman Steve Saunders says it is an honour for the company to be recognised with these awards.

“It recognises the dedication of our staff, partners and supporters... to feeding the world in a sustainable way assisted by smart automation and intelligent robotics.”

The Āporo apple packer, commercially launched in May 2018, identifies and safely places up to 120 apples per minute in display trays. The technology is being marketed by Global Pac Technologies and is operating in packhouses in New Zealand and the US with Europe to follow.

“It’s been a pivotal year for Robotics Plus,” says chief executive Dr Matt Glenn. “We’re working on a very ambitious growth

“It recognises the dedication of our staff, partners and supporters... to feeding the world in a sustainable way assisted by smart automation and intelligent robotics.”

plan, with the support of local and international partners such as Global Pac Technologies, ISO Ltd, Trimax and Yamaha Motor, who are helping us scale quickly to achieve this.”

Yamaha Motor Ventures and Laboratory Silicon Valley managing director George Kellerman says his company invested in RPL especially because labour shortages globally demand the use of robotics and automation technologies.

The company is now working on an autonomous agricultural vehicle, robotic pollinator, robotic harvesters, crop estimator and other projects. http://www.roboticsplus. co.nz

ABOUT ROBOTICS PLUS SINCE 2013, RPL has developed mechanisation, automation, machine vision, robotic and sensor technologies to help address primary industry labour shortages, sustainability for growers, pollination gaps and yield security.

It is using computing and artificial intelligence to develop robotic apple packers, kiwifruit harvesters and pollination, autonomous agricultural vehicles and robotic crop estimation.

15

Robotics Plus’ robotic Aporo apple packer won the NZTE Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution at the recent 2019 NZ Hi-Tech Awards.

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16

HORTNEWS

JULY 2019

Hemp potential excites grower Tessa Nicholson

A LAW change in November last year has seen a Marlborough grape grower now trialing industrial hemp as a potential cover crop in her vineyard.

Kirsty Harkness, the managing director and co-owner of Mount Base Vineyards, believes hemp could provide growers with a second income and improve vineyard soil health.

Cover crops are often considered by grape growers, to help provide nutrients to the soil and as a product to mulch down once it has finished flowering. Harkness was keen on achieving the above and generating income from the cover crop.

Mid last year, she came across the idea of industrial hemp and wondered if it would fit the bill as a cover crop in vineyards.

Industrial hemp has many uses.

The fibres and stalks are used in hemp clothing, construction materials, paper, biofuel and plastic composites.

The seeds can be used in health foods, organic body care and other nutraceuticals.

But in New Zealand, until November last year, although the seeds were allowed to be used to produce seed oil, they were not allowed to be sold for human consumption.

That law frus-

trated hemp growers for decades, especially given that hemp seeds are deemed one of nature’s richest sources of essential fatty acids including omega 3, omega 6, and omega 9, along with protein, iron, magnesium, zinc and fibre.

When the seed is crushed it produces oil and leaves a white protein powder that is now being used in food items such as protein powder, bars, bread and even milk. The uses of the seed are many and the market is growing now the law allows its sale for human consumption.

Harkness decided this would be the per-

fect cover crop to produce a second income.

But that required getting a licence from the Ministry of Health to become a grower. That licence arrived on Christmas Eve, too late for spring planting. So she planted out on January 4, at the beginning of one of the most severe droughts to hit Marlborough.

Although she irrigated some of the trial areas, Harkness says the seeds didn’t get the amount of water they would have if they had been planted at the normal time of November/December.

Yet the hemp thrived.

“We had a drought— just 10mm of rain in Hemp mulch provided a good cover for vines – keeping moisture in and attracting abundant insect life.

two and a half months – yet it grew to two metres. It was growing a foot a week.”

While there was no commercial return on the seeds this year, the other aspect of the trial work proved highly successful. The hemp plants were mulched and placed around

the vine roots.

“It looks really good.

Because it has a resin within the plant, the mulch almost sets itself,” she told Hort News. “So it doesn’t blow away in the wind and there are no weeds growing through it. And if you pick it up it will be damp underneath as it retains four times its body weight in water.”

There were other benefits too, such as increased insect life, among the hemp plants – something

Hemp is not marijuana MANY PEOPLE get confused between hemp and marijuana.

It’s not surprising, given the two plants look very alike and even smell alike.

The difference is that hemp plants contain no more than 0.3% (by dry weight) of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) the psychoactive substance found in marijuana. By comparison, marijuana typically contains 5 - 20% THC. The low rates of THC in hemp mean they do not produce psychoactive effects when ingested.

she wasn’t expecting.

Bees, both honey and bumble, ladybirds, caterpillars that attract Trichogramma wasps, and praying mantes were attracted to the hemp in startling numbers.

“You would walk up to these plantings and it sounded like an engine was running. It was just the insect life. I have never experienced anything like that before, it was phenomenal.”

The initial trial over 2ha around Marlborough is about to morph into a much larger trial this coming summer on at least 60ha.

Research will be done to determine if the plants will impact on vine health or wine flavours and aromas.

Harkness is not the only one excited by the law change that has made hemp seeds a viable commodity. Food Safety Minister Damien O’Conner believes the production of hemp seed foods will generate $10-$20 million of export revenue within the next three to five years.