Hort News 10 May 2022

HORTNEWS MAY 2022, ISSUE 22

International avocado alumni coming to NZ – Page 9

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

WWW.HORTNEWS.CO.NZ

‘Modern slavery’ – claim

Sudesh Kissun sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

A SCHEME allowing Pacific workers short-term work on New Zealand orchards and farms is under fire from a human rights lawyer.

Lisa Meto Fox claims the Pacific Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme is an example of modern slavery.

A lawyer working with Pacific island communities on human rights issues, Fox told Hort News that the New Zealand Government must reform or abolish the RSE scheme.

In February, the NZ Government increased the quota of RSE workers by 1,600, bringing it up to 16,000 people a year. Most of these workers are now in the country.

Fox claims the increase in quota will

only allow more exploitation by some employers.

“I think the Government needs to ensure that the workers who come here on the RSE are paid decently and enjoy the same basic human rights and freedoms any person in NZ can expect,” she says.

“Until they have reformed the scheme and provide adequate inspections to enforce the reforms then they

should not be allowing employers to recruit additional workers.”

Fox claims that many RSE workers’ movements and behaviours outside of work are being controlled by their employer – something no NZ citizen or person on an ordinary work visa would be subject to.

“For example, no visitors allowed at their accommodation, having curfews, not being allowed to stay away over-

night from employer accommodation during their personal time, couples not being provided accommodation where they can share a room, not being allowed to drink alcohol during their personal time outside of work hours.

The list goes on.”

Fox believes some workers end up paying a high price for coming to NZ. She says workers having no income TO PAGE 8

HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES? At a time when many horticulturists are struggling with the lack of labour, family-run Mill Orchard – at Loburn, just north of Rangiora – is enjoying a great harvest.

Co-owner Nick White says the current season has gone very well. Mill Orchard is a family affair and run by Nick (left) and his wife Carey, along with daughter Kylie (right) and son Luke (centre). The Whites operate several orchards in the district, some owned by other family members – totalling about 22 hectares – and employing about nine fulltime staff and a dozen casuals.

The company specialises in ‘nutrient-rich’ natural organic juices pressed onsite.

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HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

High praise for the skills of RSE workers

Paul Paynter Ð director of the family-owned Yummy Fruit Company, based in Hawkes Bay Ð has described the past season as the toughest year in his 30 years in the apple industry. He tells Peter Burke why...

PAUL PAYNTER says it’s been another very challenging season, due to a combination of factors, including weather, Covid and labour shortages yet again.

In terms of labour, two years ago Paynter had 130 backpackers working for him – last year it was just 18 and this year none!

He says adding to the worker issues is the fact that Covid has been bubbling away in the community and it has taken a lot of people out of the workforce. On top of that, wet weather has

played havoc with picking fruit.

Paynter told Hort News in the first quarter of this year they’ve had a record 440mm of rain – 50mm higher than the previous record.

“As a result, it’s become a quagmire in the orchards and I have got a guy working full time just trying to repair tracks to keep things functional out there,” he explains. “But I think we are going to get most of the crop picked.”

The other issue that plays constantly on Paynter’s mind is shipping

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HORTNEWS

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Paul Paynter says it has been very challenging season, due to a combination of factors – including weather, Covid and labour shortages.

just yet. Paynter says in February last year they shipped $1.4 million worth of fruit; this year it’s been a mere $66,000.

He says this is because the packhouses are only operating at about 60% capacity due to labour shortages. However, he

and getting product to market. He says shipping is unreliable and boats seem to come and then seemingly evaporate as if they were in the Bermuda Triangle.

Somewhat fortuitously, this hasn’t been a problem for him

believes this situation will improve in a few weeks’ time when picking ends and people are deployed in the packhouses.

“My expectation is that the season will continue to be volatile and traumatic,” Paynter says.

“It’s been very tough

on people after a couple of years of Covid and everyone’s emotional shock absorbers are worn, just like many other New Zealanders. They aren’t having fun anymore and they are worn out trying to do their job with too few resources and in very

challenging times.”

Paynter says people will struggle on in the hope there is light at the end of the tunnel and before long the world will return to some sense of normality. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

IN PRAISE OF RSES FOR ORCHARDIST like Paul Paynter, getting sufficient people to pick their apple crop is a challenge.

He would normally employ about 700 workers, but this year it’s down to 550.

Paynter says they try to get Kiwis to work for them and some are good, while others are not so good.

The age range for pickers on Paynter’s orchard is

between 16 and 70.

He says the Kiwi workers have a different motivation to the RSE workers who are out to earn as much money as they can. They will often work up to 54-hours a week, while on average the Kiwis will do 42. The latter have a tendency to be absent at the weekends and get sicker than the RSE workers.

“The reality is that the

New Zealanders don’t have the physical capacity and skill sets of young Polynesian men who are athletes in their own right,” Paynter explains.

“They are incredibly strong and are unbelievable physical specimens.

There are a couple of kiwi blokes who can keep pace with them and even out pick them, but that is a minority.”

Paynter says RSE workers

are very skilled at picking apples with some having done it for 10 years. He says they are absolutely masters of their craft and their hands move faster and their coordination is better.

“They know exactly where they place their ladders and they have got harvesting a tree down a fine art and should not ever be classed as unskilled workers.”

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HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

Costs crippling some growers Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

HORTICULTURE NZ says 2022 is presenting more challenges than ever before.

Hort NZ chair Barry O’Neil says while the apple and kiwifruit harvests are in full swing, there is a degree of nervousness across the sector.

Firstly, there are labour shortages. O’Neil notes that while the Government has tried to help, increasing the cap on RSE workers from 14,000 to 16,000, other factors – such as Covid in the Pacific Islands and the Tongan volcano eruption – have impacted on the availability of RSE workers. He says, at present, there are only 10,000 of these workers in NZ and some have been here for a very long time due to the pandemic “Meanwhile, the cost of inputs such as fertiliser, seed and fuel have increased and overall input costs have risen by between 20% and 50%,” O’Neil adds. “The added problem with these rises is that they have taken place in such a short period of time and this has meant that the value of the products hasn’t kept pace with the speed of the rising inputs.”

He says the result is a number of sectors are either not making any money or losing money as result of the current situation.

O’Neil says fertiliser costs have doubled in the past two years and,

Hort NZ chair Barry O’Neil says unrelenting cost increases means growers are either not making any money or losing money as result of the current situation.

while road user charges have been reduced, this doesn’t apply to diesel used on farm, which for many growers is a significant cost.

“The opportunities that were there for certain crops a few years ago have now been challenged by the growing government and international policy settings.”

With rising costs and the pressure from government on compliance issues, O’Neil told Hort News that a lot more orchards have been up for sale and/or either replanted in other crops or amalgamated into larger orchards.

He says in the last five

or so years there has been a trend away from the smaller family orchards into more corporate and commercial operations.

He notes this is a trend right across the ag sector and not confined to horticulture.

“The other factor is getting product to market.

It’s not just the logistics issue of getting your box of products on a ship or getting it to market – it’s the cost involved,” O’Neil explains.

“Shipping container costs have gone through the roof and so have air freight costs. All these cost increases have an impact on the bottom line of growers.”

DON’T RE-INVENT THE WHEEL! HORTICULTURE NZ is one of the primary sector parties involved in the industry-wide initiative, He Waka Eke Noa, to provide government with an alternative option to the ETS in dealing with on farm/orchard greenhouse gas emissions.

O’Neil says the issue is much simpler for growers because they don’t have to worry about methane – only nitrous oxide, which comes from fertiliser. He says growers can understand why pastoral farmers favour a pricing mechanism based at the farm level.

“What we really want as growers is a low-cost emis-

sions administration system,” he told Hort News.

“We don’t want to have to fund significant administration costs because we are just simple users of fertilisers.

There were some ridiculous figures being bandied around, ranging $60 million to $100 million to administer it,” O’Neil explains.

“That is just crazy. We believe that our farm assurance plans, which we already have in place, such as NZGAP, should be the vehicle used to meet this requirement and other regulatory requirements. There is no need to

reinvent the wheel.”

O’Neil wants the horticulture sector to focus on those really big issues that are needed for future success – such as climate change. He says with more floods and droughts occurring on a more regular basis, there needs to be a focus on things such as water storage and resilience and covered crop growing to mitigate risk.

“I think we are getting dragged down and spending time on issues that I don’t see are as important for the future benefit and success of our future,” he says.

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HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

Just the juice for family of orchardists Nigel Malthus

IN A Covid-constrained season, where many horticulturists are struggling with the lack of labour, family-run Mill Orchard – at Loburn, just north of Rangiora – is enjoying a great harvest.

Co-owner Nick White told Hort News that it had gone very well.

“It’s a good crop that’s come off and we have staff, which was something we were worried about.

“We’ve got a good steady crew here, just locals,” he says. “I’ve got a lot of grower friends and the single biggest issue they’re facing at the moment is staffing. It’s a huge issue.”

Mill Orchard is run by Nick and his wife Carey, along with daughter Kylie and son Luke. The Whites operate several orchards in the district, some owned by other family members – totalling about 22 hectares – and employing about 9 fulltime staff and a dozen casuals.

The company specialises in ‘nutrient-rich’ natural organic juices pressed onsite.

White says the family, already wellestablished in the district as woodworkers and furniture makers, became orchardists when his mother persuaded him to buy a nearby derelict orchard as a way to stop him “drifting” after he left school in the early 1980s.

“She was a clever lady,” he says. “So, there was a lot of work and I became an orchardist.”

His brother William later planted an orchard of his own and together they established an export pack house.

White says they later turned to juicing when they realised they had a lot of juice-grade fruit going to waste. Their aims was to provide an alternative to the established major brands, which often contained a lot of added sugars, colours, fla-

vours or concentrates.

Initially sold alongside their bagged apples at local supermarkets, the juice has steadily taken over and is now sold nationally, primarily through Foodstuffs.

Exports, mainly to Southeast Asia, Taiwan and China, make up about 20% of the volume and growing, White says.

Carey White handles much of the marketing and on the day Hort News visited, she was on a South Island road trip visiting retailers.

White says their son Luke is trained a chef and has a “phenomenal” sense of taste and blending flavours.

“He’s just amazing.

He’s our chief batcher and chief comer-upper of new variants.”

In the last 18 months, the Whites have launched two

Family affair: Nick White with his son Luke and daughter Kylie on their orchard at Loburn.

PHOTO: NIGEL MALTHUS

A picker at work in the rows of New Zealand Rose apples at Mill Orchard.

Left: A selection of the Mill Orchard current range of juices. PHOTOS: NIGEL MALTHUS

new products in their “Life” range with added health-promoting ingredients – such as turmeric, ginger and mānuka honey.

The company also manufactures its own bottles onsite, using recycled bottles in the form of rPET pellets.

“It’s about the smallest carbon footprint you can possibly get,” White explains. “Our labels are rPET. Recycling is the way of the future.”

With the season progressing, the company is currently pressing and bottling, while still picking its New Zealand Rose apples.

“There is something really special about a good crop coming off the trees,” White adds.

While acknowledging that mechanical harvesting of apples may be coming, he reckons that even fruit for juicing needs to be handled carefully.

He says good sound fruit is needed that lasts well in controlled atmosphere storage.

“Because we juice 12 months of the year,” White explains. “A lot of the fruit that we’ve actually grown for juice ourselves, we store until later

this year, early next year.”

Apart from a few lowvolume imported ingredients – like the spices in the Life range – almost everything comes from the Whites own or other New Zealand orchards.

They grow a large variety of apples, from some

very old to some very modern, the majority being Royal Gala, Braeburn, Granny Smith and Fuji. The juices are carefully blended to keep the flavours consistent throughout the year.

“If we can source it in New Zealand, we do.

All the apples, all the oranges, lemons, blackcurrants, boysenberries and mānuka honey.”

While believes nothing matches New Zealand fruit.

“It’s the very best fruit in the world and I’ve travelled the world.”

Each tonne of pressed fruit yields 700-750 litres of juice, for an annual production of between 1.5 to 1.8 million litres.

“Compared to the big boys, we’re just a scale on the tail of the minnow,” White says. “But it keeps us out of mischief.”

HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

Future peachy for NZ kiwifruit David Anderson

A RECENT global report says the outlook for the NZ kiwifruit sector remains strong due to expanding kiwifruit consumption in Asia, the EU and the US. According to the Rabobank report, No red light for green and yellow kiwifruit, global kiwifruit production reached four million metric tons in 2021 – a three year high, but still below the record figures of 2018.

“Led by China, which accounts for more than 50% of global supply, kiwifruit production has remained somewhat stable. But that doesn’t mean changes are not occurring,” report author, Rabobank senior fresh produce analyst David Magana says.

However, Magana explains that if China is removed from these pro-

“New Zealand is leading in production due to increased acreage, and (excluding China) now represents 33% of total global production, up from 24% in 2012.”

Prospects for the NZ kiwifruit sector remain strong due to expanding kiwifruit consumption in Asia, the EU and the US.

duction figures, since almost all of its supply goes into the domestic market, then there are five main producing countries – New Zealand, Italy, Greece, Iran and Chile.

“New Zealand is leading in production due to

increased acreage, and (excluding China) now represents 33% of total global production, up from 24% in 2012.”

Off the back of this production increase, Magana says New Zealand solidified its position as the world’s largest

exporter of kiwifruit in 2021.

“New Zealand kiwifruit exports reached a record figure of 647,700 metric last year, 13% more than 2020. Exports out of Italy were down in 2021, while volumes from Iran, Greece and Chile

remained stable,” he explains.

“About 88% of New Zealand kiwifruit exports went to Europe and Asia in 2021, with Asia predominantly importing the golden kiwifruit (60%) while Europe primarily imports the

green variety (50%).”

Since 2020, New Zealand exports of golden (yellow) kiwifruit have surpassed Hayward (green) exports in volume.

“We expect to see this trend continue in the medium-term, given planted area of Hayward is declining, while increasing for yellow varieties,” Magana says.

“A further opportunity for the New Zealand industry, is the launch of Zespri’s new Ruby Red variety, which is set to enter the market in the 2022 season,” he adds.

“We’re confident this variety will find a niche in the

Asian market due to its red pulp and berry taste.”

With consumption of kiwifruit expanding in Europe and Asia as well as the US, Magana believes the prospects for New Zealand’s kiwifruit sector remain strong.

However, he warns that production challenges are expected for growers in New Zealand and in other key kiwifruit production regions.

“Growers and exporters are likely to face significantly higher costs, including but not limited to fertiliser, energy, harvest packaging and freight.”

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HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

Optimistic outlook for niche apple and pear exporter Leo Argent

IDEAL PRE-SEASON conditions and growing markets are buoying JR’s

Orchards (JR’s) pear and apple exports, against challenges of the global pandemic and geo-political tensions in Europe.

JR’s is a family-owned apple and pear grower, packer and exporter based near Wellington. It has 90 hectares of

apples and eight hectares of pears under cultivation and exports premium varieties to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

JR’s Orchards will this year export 255,000 cartons of apples – an increase of 25% on 2020 and up 45.7% from a difficult 2021.

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Protecting trees and vines from trunk and stem diseases are a continuing challenge for growers seeking to reduce the incidence of production affecting disease such as Eutypa Lata, Silver leaf and European Canker.

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Operations director Jamiee Burns says the company will this year export some 255,000 cartons of apples during the 14-week program – an increase of 25% on 2020 and up 45.7% from a difficult 2021. Additionally, the company will market another 10,000 cartons of pears – its small, secondary line – between March and May. Burns says JR’s forecast is slightly ahead of NZ Apples & Pears’ predictions of an industry-wide increase of 17% on the 2020 season.

“Apple size is up by two counts on all varieties, due to near-perfect conditions… natural rainfall has boosted size and quality,” she explains.

“After the past two seasons off the back of a drought, this is a pleasant change.”

JR’s grows and markets four pear and six apple varieties to Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Pear season began on February 28 and apple season on March 3 – with Royal Gala apples the first.

“This year, we’re back to full strength with seasonal workers under the Recognised Seasonal Employers scheme,” Burns explains. “In 2021 we had the fruit but only 17 workers (of 70 required) to pick it… the entire industry was down by 25%.”

Around 35% of JR’s

fruit was exported to Europe, 30% to the United Kingdom and 25% to Asia. The rest went to the Middle East and its developing market in India, which is now surging after a long Covid lockdown.

However, Burns says while forward-planning had equipped JR’s Orchards to grow its markets despite two years of global disruption, the Russian-Ukraine conflict presented a significant new challenge for exporters.

This included the shutdown of Black Sea ports amid global sanctions stranding over 100 merchant and container ships in the area.

“We can produce the best crop with excellent fruit size, but we can’t control the global market,” she adds.

“Another pressure for New Zealand exporters is the horrendous cost of shipping… nearly double what it was last year.”

Burns says with Russia shut, fruit and vegetables from around the world are landing in Rotterdam (Europe’s largest seaport).

“This will cause major disruption to supply lines and drive prices down – and that’s before fruit from the Northern Hemisphere arrives,” she adds.

“We’ll be working to expand our customer base into Asia until the situation improves.”

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HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

Zespri’s challenging year ahead Peter Burke

NEW VARIETY ATTRACTS NEW CUSTOMERS

peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

ZESPRI IS expecting this year to be one of its most challenging seasons it has faced, thanks to the impact of Covid across the global supply chain.

The kiwifruit marketer and exporter’s chief global supply officer Alastair Hulbert told Hort News that the company is continuing to closely monitor the impact on its supply chain. He says they’ve completed picking and packing this season’s Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit crop and have around 40% of SunGold Kiwifruit packed.

Zespri is also currently looking to increase Green volumes to meet its target demand for the early part of the season.

Hulbert says with the industry’s labour shortage placing pressure on the kiwifruit sector – alongside a number of cost hike throughout its supply chain – Zespri’s focus remains on looking after its people and doing everything it can to safely pick, pack and ship as much fruit as possible.

“To mitigate the impact of some of the challenges we face, this season we have implemented a series of operational changes,” Hulbert told Hort News.

“Like adjusting incen-

7

Zespri chief global supply officer Alastair Hulbert says the company is continuing to closely monitor its supply chain.

tives, pack types and shipping schedules to help maximise industry capacity and minimise the impact of the expected labour shortage and smooth out the supply of fruit. We know there will also be a range of market challenges this season, driven by the conflict in Ukraine, inflationary pressures and supply chain disruptions, as well as changes to fruit flows,

leading to greater competition for shelf space and pressure on purchasing as we go through the year.”

Hulbert says, from a shipping perspective, this season Zespri expects to use 72 charter vessels to help deliver its fruit to market. He says the company will be working with its longstanding partners to try and avoid much of the congestion they are continuing to see with

global container shipping networks. As of 14 April, 10 charter reefer vessels have been loaded for the global markets including sailings to Japan, China and Europe, while the first liner to the US will depart next week.

“We’re also closely monitoring and adapting to the ongoing disruption in Shanghai, which has widespread lockdowns in place in response to the

recent increase in Covid19 cases,” Hulbert adds.

“Our first fruit has arrived in China at Taizhou Port, which is a new partnership aimed to support our supply chain and discharging of fruit has been smooth. The lockdown is disrupting supply chains in China, and we do expect to see an impact on early season logistics.” @rural_news

ACCORDING TO Zespri, it will be supplying RubyRed to consumers in New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan and China.

The company says it will be looking to delivering the variety to more markets as volume grows in the coming years. RubyRed is a new variety and in NZ this year around 100 hectares of a total of 415 hectares planted have been available for sale.

The company says during the early sales trials in Singapore, they found that over its relatively short selling window, Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit attracted new customers to the kiwifruit category. It reports that this saw one in five purchases in 2019 and one in three in 2020 made by shoppers who had not purchased kiwifruit within the past 12 months.

Zespri says trials in all markets found RubyRed consistently attracted younger shoppers more than other Zespri varieties.

RubyRed kiwifruit is described as having a delicious, naturally berry-sweet taste, a smooth, edible skin, and its vibrant red flesh stems from anthocyanins – a naturally occurring pigment. Zespri says RubyRed kiwifruit has high levels of Vitamin C but low GI, meaning it’s suitable for consumers monitoring their blood sugar levels.

Breeding work began on developing the red kiwifruit variety in 1993, under the long-running new varieties breeding programme jointly run

by Zespri and Plant & Food Research. It is now run as a joint venture by the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre.

After more than 10 years of research, extensive trials and plenty of taste-testing, the variety was commercialised in December 2019.

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HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

Call for scrutiny of the RSE scheme FROM PAGE 1

for the first month or sometimes longer as they have to work to pay off their debt to the employer for the airfares, vaccinations and visa.

Fox says she has heard of reports of some employers deducting $160 per person for three bunk beds in each room.

“Automatic deductions for things like ‘lost cutlery’ whether or not the cutlery is actually lost and deductions for travel to and from the farm.

“Sometimes these socalled costs charged to the worker are higher than the actual cost – so the employer is making a profit off providing this ‘service’.”

Fox says we often read about are the stories of the great successes of this scheme.

“Stories of how generous the Kiwi employ-

ers are in helping an RSE worker earn more money here than they would back home.

“But little is told of the restrictions, the patronisation, the lack of options, the pain that they endure.”

She claims that RSE workers have no real way to make complaints about their treatment at the hands of their employers.

“If they do complain they could not only face being blacklisted themselves, their families, villages and countries may even face the consequence of not being offered work next season and being labelled troublemakers.”

Fox wants a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the way the scheme is run – similar to the inquiry Australia has just conducted on its RSE scheme.

Lawyer Lisa Meto Fox wants a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the way the RSE scheme is run – similar to the inquiry that Australia has just conducted on its scheme.

NO ROOM FOR BAD EMPLOYERS IN SECTOR HORTNZ CHIEF executive Nadine Tunley told Hort News that there is no tolerance for poor employers under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.

Tunley says RSE employers would be putting their accreditation at risk through non-compliance.

“The New Zealand Government, in conjunction with Pacific countries and the New Zealand horticulture and viticulture industries, is review-

ing the policy around the scheme, to ensure that it continues to provide economic and development benefits to all parties in an ethical manner,” she says.

Tunley also points out that many RSE employers have long-term relationships with their workers and the villages from which they come.

“Pastoral care is huge aspect of the scheme,” says Tunley.

“Many employers have people

dedicated to this role.”

She adds that the Government sets minimum wages for RSE workers along with maximum deduction levels. Accommodation must meet the Government’s standards.

“Many employers have invested in purpose-built accommodation.”

Tunley says the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment Hort NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley.

(MBIE) is the lead Government agency for the RSE scheme.

She notes that high commissions of Pacific countries are closely involved in the running of the scheme.

“The Government sets the rules for the scheme and monitors and formally reviews the scheme. Questions about the scheme’s performance need to be directed to MBIE,” she says. – Sudesh Kissun

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MAY 2022

International avocado alumni coming to NZ! Leo Argent

IN EARLY April next year, the world’s leading avocado specialists will descend on New Zealand for the 10th World Avocado Congress.

Jen Scoular, New Zealand Avocado chief executive and president of the World Avocado Congress Committee, says the congress represents an extraordinary opportunity for the world’s avocado industries and horticulture sectors to come together.

“New Zealand is proud to host this prestigious international event,” she says. “The World Avocado Congress will demonstrate New Zealand food safety and quality systems, growing practices and the ethical treatment of growers and communities that live in avocado growing regions.”

Scoular adds that it will also provide an opportunity to access innovation, global knowledge and science to support the growth of the sector.

First hosted in Johannesburg in 1987, the event attracts thousands of delegates, with some of the brightest and most dedicated minds in avocados –

including growers, researchers, marketers, retailers, tech innovators and investors attending.

New Zealand, which contributes 2% of global avocado production (44,000 tonnes/$227m) and is the world’s ninth largest avocado exporter (28,050

tonnes/$167m), won the hosting rights to the congress back in 2019.

New Zealand, Mexico (the world’s largest avocado exporter) and Kenya (the 6th largest exporter) were the three countries to put forward a bid to win the hosting rights for the 2023 event, with NZ winning out.

Held every four years, previous congresses have been hosted in Colombia, Australia and Israel among others.

Scoular says following the global pandemic, NZ is delighted to welcome international avocado visitors to the country to showcase our industry.

The World Avocado Congress will take place at the Aotea Centre in Auckland. It will include a three-day academic programme with international keynote speakers, regional field days and other events.

Tickets will be available in June 2022 on the World Avocado Congress website. www.wacnz2023.com

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Jen Scoular the congress represents an opportunity to demonstrate New Zealand food safety and quality systems, growing practices to the world.

9

10

HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

Aiming for homegrown NZ gin DESPITE A plethora of new gins appearing all over NZ, the country is yet to grow local juniper berries at any scale for gin production or for export.

So, in collaboration with Juno Gin – and funded by the Massey

University-Bashford Nicholls Trust Pivot Award – Massey researchers are working on a range of projects aimed at advancing a juniper berry industry for New Zealand.

“We have significantly more ‘ground to cover’ to

grow our understandings of New Zealand-grown Juniperus communis’ potential for the local food and beverage industry,” explains project coordinator Eve KawanaBrown. “Like how best to breed, grow and crop for

such an industry. However, we are now making good progress.”

The research builds on The Great NZ Juniper Hunt, and work that was completed via a Juniper Genetics Study, which Massey University and

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The image shows Juniperus communis berries at varying stages of ripeness. The berries are green initially, then darken over time and are ripe after three years.

Begin Distilling (Juno Gin) collaborated together on from 2017-2020.

This latest project brings together the combined experience and expertise of Massey researchers from a range of disciplines to work together in complementary ways to progress the research needed to support the evolution of a juniper berry industry for New Zealand.

A significant focus of the research will be to further examine New Zealand-grown juniper berries to determine if different terroir might lead to distinctive sensory profiles in New Zealandmade gins.

Early research completed by Massey genetics researchers has established that New Zealand’s stockholding appears to be fairly genetically diverse, which is important when embarking on growing healthy and resilient populations of any plant variety. Ongoing work to develop genetic markers will help with studying diversity in the New Zealand stockholdings relative to global collections.

Because producing plants from seeds or from imported living plant materials poses significant challenges, the researchers’ plan is to progress to trialling in-field plantings from these New Zealandderived plants.

Early indications are that the New Zealand berries may exhibit unique volatile oil attributes. Juno Gin’s Dave James believes that ‘terroir effects’ in New Zealand for J. communis could enhance the value of the berries, and therefore New Zealandmade product in international markets.

However, it seems there are only a mere handful of fruiting trees in New Zealand. The researchers have only received sufficient quantities from two sources for preliminary berry volatiles analysis to date.

The team are working with four owners of berry-bearing trees to obtain samples for further analysis this year.

They want to understand whether the volatiles profiles from New Zealand-grown berries are actually favourable for gin-making.

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PROFESSOR JOANNE Hort, Fonterra-Riddet chair of consumer and sensory in the testing lab at Massey’s School of Food and Advanced Technology, is leading work to analyse the attributes of gins made from NZ-grown juniper berries.

Meanwhile, Dr David Popovich from the School of Food and Advanced Technology is studying their volatiles profile, as well as drying and storage protocols. Dr Svetla Sofkova and postgraduate student/technician Su Liu – from the School of Agriculture and Environment – are learning more about the propagation and reproductive biology of juniper plants.

Meanwhile, Dr Vaughan Symonds from the School of Natural Sciences is focused on analysing genetic diversity within Juniperus communis.

The researchers have been continuing to experiment with propagation techniques and currently have 482 Juniperus communis seedlings at varying stages of juvenile development.

HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

11

Fruitful careers for Pasifika youth A NEW programme has been launched to introduce Pacific youth to careers in New Zealand’s horticulture sector.

The programme was announced in February

by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio. O’Connor says the Akongoue: Pasifika Horticulture Programme will introduce Pacific youth to the wide range of career options across the horticulture sector.

“In terms of exports, horticulture is one of New Zealand’s fastest growing sectors, with the sector’s exports forecast to reach $6.9 billion this financial year and expected to grow further,” he adds.

“We have been investing significantly in partnership with the sector in new technology and increasing sustainability.

For a young person that means exciting career opportunities.”

“It will help them to identify horticulture career opportunities...”

A programme has been launched to introduce Pacific youth to careers in New Zealand’s horticulture sector.

O’Connor says these range from practical jobs like planting and harvesting, through to roles in biodiversity and sustainability, green and digital technologies, engineering, sales and marketing, research and science, and

manufacturing and logistics.”

The programme is a collaboration between the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, Tongan Youth Trust, the Sector Workforce Engage-

ment Programme (MBIE), and training organisation New Zealand Sports Turf Institute (NZSTI).

Sio claims it will broaden horizons and reward young Pacific people.

“There is huge poten-

tial for our Pacific youth to build lifelong, fulfilling careers in horticulture.

This programme is the first step,” he says.

“It will help our youth to appreciate and consider the land as a source of life, connecting them

with the cultural and indigenous knowledge of previous generations.”

Learning will include both time in the classroom and practical activities one day per week in a safe, inclusive learning environment.

Mentors and buddies will help participants get the best out of the programme.

As well as introducing Pacific youth to different horticulture roles, the programme will also contribute to NCEA Level 2/3 (up to 43 credits), and provide important skills, for example in first aid and health and safety.

Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni says students will also interact with a network of industry employers to help

with further learning and potential employment opportunities.

“The Akongoue: Pasifika Horticulture Programme is an opportunity to bring together Pacific youth, their Kainga (families), and schools,” she says.

“It will help them to identify horticulture career opportunities that offer progression to tertiary studies, employment, diversity, mobility, and financial reward.”

O’Connor adds that programme will equip Pacific youth with important skills and qualifications.

“It will also help excite and attract our Pacific youth into a horticulture career to build life-long prosperity for themselves, and their families.”

Less blight for potatoes and tomatoes Leo Argent

A NEW fungicide has recently been approved for use in New Zealand, subject to conditions.

Xivana is intended to combat late blight in tomatoes and potatoes, as well as downy mildew in onions. The fungicide contains an active ingredient, new to New Zealand, called fluoxapiprolin.

The active ingredient targets oomycetes [similar, but technically separate from fungi] responsible for blight and downy mildew. It works by targeting a binding protein in the

cellular membrane of oomycetes, inhibiting growth and preventing the transport of sterol proteins and lipids, thereby preventing complex cells from forming.

Alongside the European Union and Australia, New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is among the first regulators in the world to consider an approval for this substance. An Australian public release summary found that fluoxapiprolin had little flammability or explosive concerns, little water solubility and no health objections when used as directed.

Xivana’s applicant, Bayer New Zealand Ltd, intends to import the product as a concentrate to be applied using ground-based or aerial methods.

Bayer’s EPA submissions shows the fungicide would always be manufactured overseas and arrive at warehouses in Auckland and Christchurch as a finished, packaged product ready for sale to professional users.

“Late blight is the most economically destructive disease of potatoes and outdoor tomato crops in this country; New options for controlling downy mildew are [also] desperately

needed,” says Dr Chris Hill, general manager of the EPA’s hazardous substances group.

He says the EPA considers that the new active ingredient, fluoxapiprolin, represents a significant benefit, as it could provide an additional tool for growers that is less hazardous than most comparable fungicides currently available on the market.

Hill adds that with potato exports slowly rising in value and tomato and onion remaining steady, this makes any new advantage for growers highly welcome.

The EPA is responsible for reg-

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ulating chemicals and other dangerous goods and substances under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act. “We put rules in place to manage the risks of hazardous substances and to safeguard people and the environment,” says Hill.

“In granting approval for Xivana, strict rules have been set for its use.

These include a maximum of three uses [1,000 ml/ha per use] a year per crop, at a restricted amount. Use of new fungicide is also restricted to professional users in commercial settings.”

12

HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

A season of fatigue! eral, the majority of the orchards got most of their fruit picked under the difficult circumstances.

In some cases, yield was better than expected.

Hellstrom says 3.2 million tonnes of summer fruit were exported this season, well up on the 2.5 million tonnes the

Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

IT’S BEEN a hard and stressful year for the county’s summerfruit growers.

Summerfruit NZ chief executive Kate Hellstrom told Hort News the 2021/22 season has gone as well as could be expected – given the disruption and challenges related to Covid.

She says growers are fatigued, worn down and in need of a really good break. This is due to the pressure they have been under, during this and previous seasons, to get their fruit picked, packed and shipped to market.

The critical labour shortage and threat of Omicron has made life difficult for growers.

“The severe labour shortage impacted everyone and that was really

Summerfruit NZ chief executive Kate Hellstrom says growers are fatigued, worn down and in need of a really good break.

stressful and challenging for growers trying to recruit and retain enough people to get their fruit picked,” Hellstrom explains.

“There was a lot of work done by growers leading into the season to promote themselves to seasonal workers and to provide the best opportunities to get the right workers in place

to get their fruit picked.

Although we didn’t have a severe weather event like we had last year, it’s been quite wet for some growers.”

Hellstrom says Blenheim in particular had flooding in July and more rain in September which impacted their pollination, so they had an extremely low fruit yield.

She says, in gen-

have impacted on profitability,” Hellstrom adds.

“Previously, some summerfruit was exported by sea freight, but now it is no longer possible for us to get fruit at the right quality offshore in ships – so it now has to be air-freighted at a much higher cost.”

to airfreight in particular. This saw much of the fruit grown in the South Island being flown out from Auckland, whereas pre-Covid most of this would go out of Christchurch.

“Freight rates have gone up tremendously and this will certainly

previous year. But she points out that 2021 was a very bad season. On the whole, prices were quite good and that helped offset the lower yields on some orchards.

She says one of the biggest challenges facing exporters is the cost of freight and disruptions

LABOUR PAINS Kate Hellstrom says the summerfruit sector has been working hard to attract New Zealanders to help pick the crop.

She says part of their campaign messaging is to point out that orchards are situated in very attractive parts of NZ where people like to go.

“We are also highlighting the ‘experience’ that people get when they come and pick the fruit,” she told Hort News.

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Hellstrom acknowledges that because summerfruit is picked early in the season it attracts university students and others who are looking for seasonal work. But missing from the current workforce is the large number of backpackers who were an integral part of the workforce pre-Covid.

In the past, she says there were upwards of 50,000 working holiday visa holders in the country and this is now

down to less than 4,000. Hellstrom believes that, even when the borders open up again, these numbers won’t reach the pre-Covid peak.

She says one positive has been getting more RSE workers into the country to help with the harvest. But Hellstrom says long term the industry needs to invest in more research, technology and management techniques that will reduce labour requirements.

HORTNEWS NOVEMB ER 2021 , ISSUE

Bumper cherry cro p predicted – Page 7

Sweet res ult for ho rt!

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WWW.HO RTNEWS .CO.NZ

ISSN 2624ISSN 2624- 3490 (print) 3504 (onlin e)

Sudesh Kis sun

sudeshk@

ruralnew s.co.

that quota attracts an told Hort 8% tariff,” SOME HO News. he with RTICULTUR Covid. “Tra Under the also brac de and exp proposed ing for fina E farmers are on efits a dive orting ben FTA, the ncial relie pears will the propos rse range - onion tariff bus f be remove from of New Zea ed free inesses,” with the tari d on day trad between land the sector is extremely he says. one, ff on apples New Zealand e agreement grateful for hard wor “Wi three year reducing k of New and the Uni Kingdom.

New Zealand s over men thout clear trad Zealand’s tiators and ted ing arra onion indu negots, diplomats improved “So, ther Apple, pea $200 mill stry was wor who have e is some market acce nge- tirelessly to ion back reduced tari r and onio worked th fina and conclude ss ncia to the grow we among tho and n growers ffs, it is extr benefit from of which l relief this agreeme er, 85% “The New se set to are regu came from to export emely diffi a more wel nt. benefit alth Zea from latory env not as big cult exports. land com while Api the bottom ing team has join Zoom ironment,” major mea ough Meanculture New of the wor had to calls with t and dair says Pollard. to larger econom Onion grow ers.

Zealand says ld dea thei y exportl will at ies r counterpart ers will face extremely be like the Kingdom. the from day inconvenien United s industry a great outcome for zero tariff NZ Apples one nigh .

The t the time and t, and Pears tariff on New for exampl bee s of the will improve “Of land onio Alan Pollard chief exec e.” ness in one Zea- sect immediate benefit ns is curr competitive utiv The conclus says at the of their larg to the onio ently 8% or is the exp moment the e Zealand currentl is a $100 ion of this est export kets. . New n will ben ectation of million mar UK wor y exports agreement marefit tariffs bein ket for grow $11 million eliminated on onio th of onio consistently g commun onion growers and The UK con ns, once the ns to the ers, dom ranking in ment com regional ities, sistently United Kin agreethree. es into forc annually. the top two of top thre ranks as gterbury. Oni from Pukekohe to e.” or one e export The New Can- Zea ons are an Onions NZ mar “We have kets Zea land hon important tion crop land Gov for New announced a ey and is for many rota- lion Kuperus says chief executive ernment and Decemb quota between Aug the details worth $70 Jam vege es Hav ann the tabl ust this ing onions ually. “We FTA will ens e growers. ciple” New er where of milcountry’s volume abo have stro Zealand-UK an “in-prin- grow in a rota ure that with UK onion exp ng ties tion allo customers, ve to grow ers to rota as trade FTA last orts continu ws tory officials with a long as the wor of exporti neared com week such as lettu te between other crop e the dea hisld comes ng high-qu l after littl ces, potatoes pleting s produc to terms ality hon which help e more than ts there. , carrots etc, of negotia ey However, s a year tions. Kup in-quota the current and diseases to control erus says tariff rate pests . the NZ of 16 bee per cent n a significa In 2019, the has nt barrier Karin Kos to trade,” , chie says New Zealand f executive of Apicult ure . nz

GETTING READY!

MANGAW EKA ASP ARAGUS Sam Rain manager ey overse es an 80 asparagus hectare in the cen tral North When Hor Island. t News visi ted the pro in late Sep perty tember, Rainey and were in the his staff final stag es of pre for the har paring vest. The packhouse being set was up and at the sam first spe e time the ars of asp aragus wer to appear e starting . While the total size property of the is 80 hec tares, the just 65 hec y will pick tares this season – equates which to up to 250 tonnes See story . pages 4 and 5.

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HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

13

Many kiwifruit growers themselves have been out in the orchards with the picking crews and also helping out in packhouses to help ensure this season’s crop gets harvested.

All hands on deck for this season’s kiwifruit harvest Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

GROWERS ARE mucking in and helping staff to pick this year’s kiwifruit crop.

At this point, the Ruby Red variety has all been picked and about a third of the gold crop has also been harvested, with workers now starting to pick the green crop.

NZ Kiwifruit Growers (NZKGI) chief executive Colin Bond told Hort News that everyone in the industry is working together to ensure the crop gets picked this season.

He says many growers themselves have been out in the orchards with the picking crews and

also helping out in pack houses. Bond says there have been instances of staff who normally just pick the fruit, doing shifts in the pack houses on wet days when it’s not possible to pick fruit.

Bond says these initiatives, along with structural changes being made to the way the fruit is harvested, have given the industry more confidence that the crop will be harvested.

“A couple of other things have also helped.

The weather has been quite favourable and it appears that Omicron seems to have peaked ahead of the peak harvest – which is mid-tolate April,” he explains.

“Those two things have

really helped. Back about a month ago, we were very nervous about Omicron and when that was going to hit hardest.

“We were also very nervous about RSEs because there was a Covid outbreak in the Pacific.

But now we are seeing these people coming into the country and that is very critical for us because they are part of our night shifts for our pack houses and they are important for our picking crews as well.”

Bond says the industry normally has a casual workforce of 24,000 people – in addition to the 10,000 permanent employees – and there were fears that the industry would be short of

WARNING ON HIGH PAY EXPECTATION COLIN BOND has some words of caution around media headlines that kiwifruit pickers can earn up to $60 an hour.

He says it’s wrong to set an expectation that anyone can earn that sort of money.

“We are saying that pickers can earn $25 to $40 an hour and keep up the quality standards is very realistic,” Bond told Hort News.

“If you are going to earn the reported $60 an hour, one needs to

be clear on what this might involve.

“We are not saying that everyone who’s doing that is going to be damaging the fruit, but you are risking having a negative impact on the quality of the fruit if you try and pick that fast, continuously.”

He says the kiwifruit industry is based on quality and even a labour crisis can’t compromise quality, which is what the Zespri brand is built on.

about 6,000 people. However, he says with the good weather and a combination of factors there is hope that the target of picking 3 million trays a day will be achieved.

Bond says another

thing that has helped is the fact that the industry has gained valuable experience working in a Covid environment during the past two years.

“The last two years’ experience has definitely

helped and it could have been so much worse if Omicron had the numbers we’d been experiencing in March happen in mid-to-late April at the peak of the harvest,” he explains.

“It could still happen and that’s a risk on the horizon, but what we are seeing now is Covid numbers dissipating by the day.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

EXCITING CHALLENGE THIS IS Colin Bond’s first harvest as the boss of NZKGI and he’s finding the role challenging but rewarding.

He says in times of crisis the industry is at its best. Bond says that’s why he wanted to come into the kiwifruit industry, because he saw how

it responded to PSA and came through it.

Meanwhile, he says growers are always excited at this time of the year when they see their crops on the vine and have their hopes set on what the season may bring. “It’s too early to say yet and you don’t count your

kiwifruit until they are in a box – there is still a long way to go,” Bond told Hort News.

“There is definitely some apprehension, but that is tinged with the excitement of this year.

So we are still cautiously optimistic that all the fruit will get picked.”

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14

HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

World-beating agritech all the way from Palmy

LIKE MANY Kiwis in agritech, Don Sandbrook grew up on a farm.

“There’s a real practical value that comes from being able to jump on a tractor and work with soil, plants, and people,” he says. “That grounding gives you a great headstart.”

Sandbrook is chief executive of Palmerston North-based agricultural and horticultural robotics company Greentech Robotics. He left school at 15 and worked in 36 different jobs before setting up his own business.

“I’m a bit weird,” he says. “I can visualise a machine in my mind and build it.”

While working as a technician at Massey University, he worked on a direct drill seeding system he describes as “a heap of junk”.

“It was designed by academics with no practical sense of the problem it needed to solve,” he explains. “It had no practical application, but I could see a way to make it simpler and more effective, but nobody would listen to me because I was just a technician.”

Determined to build something better, Sandbrook spent weekends and late nights trying to invent an accurate, automated seed dispensing system. Like many entrepreneurs, he thought producing the idea was the hard part, but quickly

Greentech Robotics’ WeedSpider is a fully autonomous robotic-weeder is designed to remove weeds quickly and accurately from commercial vegetable fields.

“It was designed by academics with no practical sense of the problem it needed to solve,” he explains. “It had no practical application, but I could see a way to make it simpler and more effective, but nobody would listen to me because I was just a technician.” found that dairy farmers didn’t need a seeding system to grow grass.

The turning point came when a Wattie’s representative saw the system at Fieldays and asked if it could sow carrot seed.

Sandbrook modified his machine to cater for

carrot seed and Wattie’s planted 40 acres using the first iteration of the SeedSpider, resulting in a perfectly spaced, weed-free crop of baby carrots.

Wattie’s introduced Sandbrook to a leading UK supplier of fresh produce and salad greens, which led to relationships

with distributors and growers all over Europe, but the US market was a tougher nut to crack.

Potential US distributors were reluctant to look at crops grown in Europe saying, “show us some crops in America planted using the SeedSpider”.

Bloody-minded persistence at a Las Vegas trade show led to a 2,000-acre trial, which resulted in a 10% increase in yield compared to an existing seeding system. Today, up to 80%* of salad and baby carrot crops in the US are planted using the SeedSpider.

Sandbrook is convinced that “sheer bloody-minded persistence” remains the key to building a global business.

Greentech Robotics has a bold mission to future-proof farming by developing innovative

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robotic capability across the agricultural and horticultural sector. Currently set to launch WeedSpider in the US in late 2022, the fully autonomous roboticweeder is designed to remove weeds quickly and accurately from commercial vegetable fields.

Said to address the pain point of labour cost and supply for growers, current research shows 55% of US farms are experiencing severe labour shortages. Additionally, population growth will see demand for food increase by 70% over the next 30 years.

While the WeedSpider won’t replace migrant workers, it will boost productivity and increase yields.

Even though most of Greentech Robotics customers are overseas, the company is still based in Palmerston North, and is focused on taking on the

world from its own backyard.

“We’re fortunate to be able to hire a lot of bright young minds out of Massey, including a lot of their best mechatronics graduates,” Sandbrook adds.

“Many have grown up on a farm, so they have a real practical, can-do attitude. I consider coming from New Zealand to be a massive advantage over any other country in the world, with no real barriers to innovation.”

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(This article first appeared in the AgriTechNZ Powered by Place series celebrating New Zealand Agritech entrepreneurs.)

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HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

JD establishes new hort JV remotely controlled by a single operator. This is done via the use of a combination of GPS and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology, vehicle sensors, and software, to move and navigate through orchards and vineyards.

John Deere Australia and New Zealand production systems manager, Stephanie Gersekowski says GUSS has found a way to apply GPS technology in challenging conditions. She says this means horticulture cropping enterprises can now utilise the same level of exciting innovation now available to broadacre operations.

“Traditionally, using GPS guidance under orchards and vineyards canopies has been challenging,” Gersekowski explains. “However, GUSS has overcome this issue by developing several additional technologies, including vehicle sensors and software to supplement GPS and guide GUSS safely and efficiently through crops.”

She adds that with operators able to control up to eight sprayers at once, GUSS equipment provides enormous productivity gains to growers by reducing pressure to find skilled operators. The technology is also said to use fewer resources and reduce costs by eliminat-

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Stephen Pollard ....... Ph 021-963 166

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ing operator error and downtime.

Founded in 2018 and with a staff of approximately 35, GUSS will retain its employees, brand name and trademark, and continue to

operate from its current location. GUSS technology is not currently sold through John Deere dealers in Australia and New Zealand. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

John Deere has announced a joint venture with orchard and vineyard spraying technology company GUSS.

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JOHN DEERE claims a joint venture between it and California-based technology company GUSS will assist horticulture producers achieve greater on-farm efficiency.

As part of the collaboration, John Deere will provide access to its global sales channels to support market growth, while GUSS will continue its horticultural industry innovation and product development.

Chris Davison, JD’s director of small tractor & HVC production systems, says the collaboration will accelerate the development and distribution of semi-autonomous orchard and vineyard spraying technology.

“As demand for highvalue crops grows, we see significant opportunities to help producers be more productive while addressing the challenges such as limited access to skilled labour to operate equipment,” Davison says.

“The GUSS team has a deep understanding of high-value crop production systems, as well as strong relationships with customers and a proven track record of deploying innovative technology.”

He says both companies are committed to developing pathways to grow more food using fewer resources. By using GUSS technology, multiple machines can be

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HORTNEWS

MAY 2022

Planting bulbs on a grand scale Mark Daniel markd@ruralnews.co.nz

IT’S OFTEN said the ingenuity of farmers and growers knows no bounds.

And in the case of horticultural operators, bespoke machines are often needed to deal with individual circumstances.

Taking this philosophy to the limit is Belmont Nurseries, the UK’s largest commercial outdoor tulip grower. Based in East Anglia, the company grows around 55ha of tulips, alongside 165ha of daffodils, peonies, gladioli and Sweet Williams, in a near year-round operation.

The extensive workload is made possible by a highly-modified New Hol-

The bulb planter machine is operated by a two-person team, with the driver keeping an eye on various camera feeds to oversee machine guidance, speed and the loading system.

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May 31

RURAL NEWS TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS

land T7 210 Auto Command tractor fitted with a 320mm wide Soucy track system. The tractor can operate in a wide range of soil conditions with a light footprint spread over about 5.12 square metres – around five times greater than the standard wheel-based set up.

The narrower attachment, compared to tyres, has also allowed the company to maximise the width of the growing beds to maximise the cropped area in each paddock.

A further advantage of the track system, delivered by its longer footprint, is the ability to absorb the effects of any uneven ground or undulations. This results in a more consistent linkage height, with more precise depth control of the planter unit.

The biggest change from the norm is an upfront loader system that operates in conjunction with an over-cab holding bin. This equipment was supplied by Dutch company Koops, with the conversion to the tractors carried out at its base in the Netherlands.

The machine is oper-

ated by a two-person team, with the driver keeping an eye on various camera feeds to oversee machine guidance, speed and the loading system.

The front loader allows 600kg boxes of bulbs to be lifted to the overhead hopper, with a capacity of three to four boxes, depending on bulb size.

The base of the main hopper has a full-width PVC conveyor belt that, when activated by the planter operater, feeds a second hopper above the planting system. Bulbs drop from this hopper at a rate based on travel speed and the required bulb count, typically between 100 and 400 bulbs per running metre for tulips.

From the secondary hopper, bulbs are dropped onto a shaker plate that spreads them across the full width of the planter.

At the end of the shaker plate, the crop is fed between two beds of netting, held taut by a series of rollers. This makes the bulbs easier to lift cleanly from the beds at harvest time, with a minimum amount of soil.

Achieving outputs of around 3 ha/day, the

planter uses two snowplough-like blades to part the soil, pushing material up against a large sideguard to form the 1.54m planting bed. Working depth is controlled by radar sensors on the tractor’s rear linkage that in turn uses hydraulic cylinders in place of the original drop arms.

After planting, the bulbs are covered using discs and an integrated hood, with a small degree of consolidation.

Positional accuracy is maintained by a Topcon X35 console, working in conjunction with the farm’s own base station, removing the need to purchase an ongoing RTK correction signal. Alongside position, the system also uses ISOBUS to deliver automatic section control in non-cropping areas such as footpaths, tracks and headlands, alongside planting rates and bulb counts. Working to an accuracy of around 5mm, the setup also allows operators to position where one variety ends and another starts, a key consideration when up to 35 different varieties are being grown.