Hort News 10 October 2023

HORTNEWS

HORTICULTURENZ CHAIR Barry

O’Neil believes the mood in the sector is more positive than it’s been all year. He says after all the rain and weather events that have plagued the sector and caused terrible damage, things are looking much brighter as spring begins.

O’Neil’s reasonably optimistic that the sector is going to have a far better season. He told Hort News there is

However, O’Neil adds that the unknown with fruit crops is what the flower capacity will be, and what the vine and trees loads will be able to carry as the fruit develops.

“There is still a question mark as to whether we will get a full bumper crop or whether we will have to reduce our crop in the light of status of the trees and vines being stressed,” he explains.

O’Neil says the prospect of El Nino is less of a worry to growers than in past seasons when the very wet and windy La Nina has prevailed. He adds

sunshine for crop growth.

“It’s hard to generalise, but most in the hort sector – including vegetable growers – can manage a drier El Ninotype impact rather than the very wet and windy La Nina,” O’Neil adds.

“For those of us who have access to water and shelter we can manage with the wind events that we’ve just had. But when it’s wet and you don’t have the sunshine hours it’s really hard to grow.”

O’Neil told Hort News that in terms of the recovery in Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti, it will be a long road for some – especially those whose orchards have been wiped out. He

says some have managed to clean out silt and re-grass and at least start to get their land stabilized.

However, he adds there are those whose land is so severely damaged that they won’t be able to replant, and their future is uncertain. O’Neil says people are aware of the government support options.

“Growers have time to talk to their banks about the situation and see what support is available. They may also have to talk to their insurance companies and hopefully they can get enough support around them to start making things happen.”

While significant areas of prime horticulture land appears to be lost – especially in places such as the Esk Valley in Hawke’s Bay – O’Neil still believes that the horticulture sector will continue to expand. He points to the fact that kiwifruit, apple, avocado and cherry plantings have been expanding significantly in recent years. “While that expansion rate will have slowed down a little bit, I still expect horticulture to expand significantly going forward,” he adds. “Providing we have the right government policy settings that will support and not restrict growing.”

While there’s optimism of a better season for growers this year the unknown with fruit crops is what the flower capacity will be.

Photo credit Paul Sutherland Photography.

Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

On the ground help for impacted apple growers

HAWKE’S BAY and Tairawhiti apple and pear growers hit by Cyclone Gabrielle are getting extra help to prepare their orchards for the coming season.

Apples and Pears NZ (A&PNZ) has secured funding to the tune of $114,000 from the Ministry for Primary Industries, which will be used to help take some of the stress out of the work setting up orchards in coming weeks.

A&PNZ’s market access manager Danielle Adsett is heading up the initiative, which is directed at orchardists who are growing a crop for the 2024 season. She says there are about 80 orchardists who have suffered damage due to the cyclone. This initiative is designed to assist them with such things as leaf and soil testing and compliance issues. It may also include helping these growers to get their Grow Safe certification.

Adsett says the aim of the project is to make a difference and relieve some of the pressure that growers are under.

“It is likely that some people will be a little bit stretched because they had no income last year or are suffering in terms of mental health and wellbeing,”

she told Hort News

“It’s a huge burden managing their way through the problems of Gabrielle, without having to deal with compliance issues. This project is about helping them to complete all

these requirements and get on with managing their crops.”

Adsett says some of the larger orchards may not need help because they have the resources to manage such issues. She adds that it’s likely

NZ PRESENCE IN HONG KONG

APPLES AND Pears NZ (A&PNZ) has just played a significant facilitation role in getting growers in touch with key overseas markets at a huge trade show in Asia.

In conjunction with NZ Trade and Enterprise and Food Research, A&PNZ organised a stand at the prestigious Asia Fruit Logistica trade show recently held in Hong Kong. The event is held annually and is seen as an important event for exporters to attend.

It is a massive event that attracts more than 13,000 trade visitors from 70 countries, including NZ. This year was the

biggest event Asia Fruit Logistica has run since Covid with a record 700 exhibitors on the site, which is near Hong Kong’s airport.

A&PNZ’s market access manager Danielle Adsett attended the event to support smaller operators who based themselves at the NZ Pavilion. Larger NZ companies had their own stands. She told Hort News there were people at the show from America, China Europe and South America – including Chile.

“The NZ pavilion was set up for exporters who couldn’t afford the signifi -

to be the smaller ‘mum and dad’ operations who will need help.

“In the case of the smaller operators, they are not just the grower – but they are also the business planner, the compliance manager, health and safety

cant cost of setting up their own stands. At our pavilion they had their own areas and desks where they could meet with their customers, partners and suppliers and do business for the coming season,” she says.

Adsett says there were six companies based at the NZ pavilion and it worked well. She says everyone on the stand was busy.

“Without doubt our exporters have done a fantastic job at continuing to work with their partners and buyers, as it’s been a tough couple of years.”

manager and the training manager, to name some of the tasks they have to undertake.”

The actual on-the-ground work will be coordinated by A&PNZ, but will draw on help from local consultants, contractors with specialist knowledge and the expertise of Plant and Food Research.

Adsett says believes the project will make a difference to many people who have been through hard times, which are still not over.

“The tide is coming in as we head into spring. It’s too early to tell how good bud burst will be and we still don’t know how these trees are going to bounce back as they come out of dormancy,” she adds.

“However, regardless of how the trees perform, orchardists still have to ensure their systems are up-todate and in place, and this is very stressful.”

Apple&Pear NZ’s market access manager Danielle Adsett is heading up an initiative to help cyclone-affected growers get back on their feet.

Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

HORTICULTURE NZ is scathing about the last gasp announcement by Labour to lift the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) by just 500 workers.

“Horticulture has nothing to celebrate in the announcement.

It does not recognise the important part horticulture plays in strengthening New Zealand’s economy,” says Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley. Her comments came in reaction to Immigration

Minister Andrew Little’s recent announcement to increase the RSE cap by only 500 people to 19,500.

“This decision does not give growers confidence to continue to invest as they go into the next harvest season,” Tunley adds. “Horticulture has plenty of work available for Kiwis and our Pacific partners. This work

creates jobs for New Zealanders and boosts the economy.”

She added that other political parties had recognised the importance of the sector and committed to much larger increases in RSE access.

“Our growers need a government that understands our requirements, will help us grow sustainably and meet the needs of our domestic and export markets,” Tunley says.

“We are watching policy commitments closely and will work with any government that is committed to helping our growers and the wider sector.”

She points to the work done by HortNZ earlier this year when it acted with government to set the Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan.

“We set an aspirational direction for the horticulture sector and the goal of a long-term

policy to assist existing horticulture businesses and new entrants to have the confidence to invest in and grow the sector, in doing so contributing significantly to the growth of the New Zealand economy,” Tunley adds.

“The cap increase announcement fails that challenge. Industry requested the cap be increased by 1600 to accommodate employers’ requests for the coming season.”

Meanwhile she says it is disappointing that the RSE policy review has not progressed, but instead stalled within the bureaucracy of Wellington.

“Industry has been working closely with our Pacific partners and government for years to progress the policy review to enable certainty. We, like the Government, are focused on prioritising workers’ wellbeing and the longterm sustainability of the

scheme. This further lack of progress is creating more uncertainty for growers.”

Tunley says the

horticulture industry is eager to work with government on the implementation of the policy to make swift

and practical progress in improving the RSE scheme.

“Starting with the most pressing issues that will

have the most benefit to our growers as well as Pacific countries that are part of the RSE scheme.”

Too ‘Little’, too late – Hort NZ BACTERIA TO PREVENT FUNGAL DISEASES

PLANT FUNGAL diseases can be devastating for horticulture and agriculture – in the worst cases, wiping out entire crops.

But Lincoln Agritech scientists believe altering the bacteria associated with disease-causing fungi will lead to new strategies to protect crops.

They have picked up a $1 million contract from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to develop

attenuated (weakened) variants of disease-causing fungi that can be used to prime plants and protect against fungal diseases. The research programme will run for two years.

“In previous research, we found that the bacteria associated with a fungus affect its ability to cause disease,” Dr Jin-Hua Li explains. “Our approach will make fungi unable to cause disease by changing the bacteria that are associated with the fungi.”

Working with scientists from Scion, Utrecht University in the Netherlands and the Foundation for Arable Research, Lincoln Agritech scientists will test the concept on brassica plants (a genus of plants that includes cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli).

“We will test these attenuated variants on brassica plants, such as broccoli and cabbage,” Li adds.

“We will coat seeds with the altered fungus, then try to infect the

seedlings with the original fungus to see whether our new products have protected the plant from infection.”

Once the concept has been proven in brassica plants, it will be applied to cereal crops, and could potentially be used on several horticultural crops.

Li believes this new approach to protection will not only help New Zealand’s horticulture and agriculture industries, but also provide an export opportunity.

“The global agrochemical industry is pivoting to develop new biological alternatives in response to urgent global demands for reduced chemical use.”

Li gives as an example EU regulations which demand a 50% reduction in chemical pesticide use by 2030.

“Our novel biotechnology will help exporters meet the growing market demand for non-chemical disease control.”

David Anderson davida@ruralnews.co.nz

Horticulture NZ says there is nothing to celebrate in the recent government decision to lift the number of RSE workers by only 500.

Rockit set to relaunch

Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

HAWKE’S BAY-BASED

Rockit Apples says it is reasonably positive about the coming season.

Chief executive Mark O’Donnell told Hort News while the company

had lost about 10% of its trees due to Cyclone Gabrielle, in the main it was the crop not actual trees that were damaged. He says some orchards were so badly damaged that apples trees won’t be planted back in certain areas.

But O’Donnell adds

they have been saved by the fact that they had a significant future planting programme taking place which will help the company get back on its feet quickly.

“Sure, it will take us three or four years to get to where we’d hoped to get, but in that period of

TOUGH GOING IN CHINA

O’DONNELL SAYS while China has slowed, Rockit has been fortunate to capitalise on the Moon Festival that kicks off in late September and early October.

“That is a big gifting time in China, so we have a big focus on gift boxes. We did our global campaign in China this year with Pokémon and last year it was Minions and the year before Pac Man.”

However, O’Donnell concedes that

time the volumes of fruit will be back to what was predicted.”

Rockit is a miniature apple and a hybrid of the popular Gala and Splendour apples. What’s especially unique is that the apples are packed in various sizes of plastic tubes and are designed

China is tough going, with consumers in that market spending carefully and his company has been impacted by that like everybody else.

“That just means that we have to be more on our game and more connected to our retailers and consumers than we ever have ever been before.”

O’Donnell says Rockit is well connected in China and have seven

for the healthy snack market.

The Rockit company, founded by Phil Alison,

dedicated staff there. It is also part of PCNZ (Primary Collaboration NZ) a joint venture set up by a number of companies based out of its office in Shanghai. He told Hort News that it appears all of South East Asia is ‘taking a breath’ along with China. O’Donnell says the company is looking carefully at its sales and marketing plans for 2024 to ensure it makes the most of the available opportunities.

was sold to equity investors and, since then, has expanded at pace.

The company itself owns orchards, but also contracts local growers to supply apples. It also has licensed growers in Belgium, Germany, France, Spain and the UK.

In the past season, O’Donnell says Rockit lost about a third of the past season’s crop due to Gabrielle and other rain storms. He says pests and disease have also caused problems in terms of fruit quality

leading to access issues in some markets.

“It’s been a year of juggling priorities to try and maximise the return to growers,” he told Hort News.

But O’Donnell adds that the company is pretty excited about what 2024 might look like. He says they are busy putting together sales, marketing and brand campaigns to capitalise on market opportunities, which he believes means it’s going to be a very good year for Rockit.

Rockit Apples is reasonably positive about the coming season.

Final 2023 kiwifruit departs

THE LAST of Zespri’s kiwifruit crop for the 2023 season is on its way to market.

Around 782 tonnes of Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit and 3621 tonnes of Zespri Green Kiwifruit are on-board the Discovery Bay, which is expected to reach Tokyo in early October before sailing on to Kobe, Japan and then on to South Korea.

Zespri has used 51 charter vessels to ship this season’s kiwifruit from NZ – including four to Northern Europe, eight to the Mediterranean, two to North America’s West Coast and 37 to Asia. The season’s final container shipments carrying the remaining 2540 tonnes of the crop are expected to conclude over the coming weeks.

Zespri chief operating officer Jason Te Brake says there’s been a huge effort right across the industry to deliver this season’s lower crop volume to customers and consumers in more than 50 countries around the world.

“It was another extremely challenging growing season in New Zealand, with a significant reduction in yields as a result of poor growing conditions,” he explains. “While lower yields have put real pressure on growers, the industry has focused

on maximising value in market and through the supply chain.”

Te Brake says this has meant a commitment to improving fruit quality, which has been tracking significantly better than last year and closer to 2021’s crop. He says Zespri has also implemented strong pricing this season, with per tray returns at the high end of early season guidance.

“We’ll be finishing the season around eight weeks ahead of last year, which was a conscious decision made

to ensure that we keep fruit moving through to customers to avoid late season quality costs for growers.”

Te Brake confirmed that planning for next year is already well underway, with significantly more fruit expected to help meet growing consumer demand. He says this includes looking at what changes Zespri need to make to further lift quality and respond to

the higher volumes expected next season.

He says early indications suggest they’ll have a good level of growth for both Zespri Green and Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit in 2024, as these bounce back from the challenges of the past two seasons.

But Te Brake adds that as a primary industry they’re still subject to

weather-related challenges.

“We are focused on ensuring we get the whole supply chain working well – from producing a quality product, getting it to market in great shape and then getting as much value as we can when it gets there, as this is crucial to ensuring we’re able to deliver more value back to our growers and communities.”

The Discovery Bay leaves Tauranga with the last of season 2023’s kiwifruit aboard.

Photo credit Jamie Troughton, Dscribe Media,

“We’ll be finishing the season around eight weeks ahead of last year, which was a conscious decision made to ensure that we keep fruit moving through to customers to avoid late season quality costs for growers.”

Company hoping new apple is a ‘Joli’ good story

T&G GLOBAL recently unveiled the first commercial planting of its newest global premium apple variety Joli at one of the company’s Hawke’s Bay orchards.

Developed in New Zealand over the course of ten years, Joli is the result of T&G’s IP management and commercialisation business VentureFruit collaborating with innovation company Prevar and breeder Plant & Food Research in New Zealand.

Joli is described by T&G as a firm, but ‘explosively juicy and crispy’ apple. The initial planting is part of a planned 27 hectares that T&G will plant on its Hawke’s Bay orchards over the next three years. A further 100ha will be grown under licence by independent growers across New Zealand, with further orcharding

in Europe.

VentureFruit general manager Morgan Rogers says the new apple follows a heritage of releases from T&G.

The Joli apple is said to be different, but complementary to the company’s current portfolio of Jazz and Envy apples.

Rogers told Hort News that T&G evaluates 100160 new apples a year and while there is a lot of new apple variety attrition in the market, he is confident in Joli’s success.

“We have spent the last several years doing consumer evaluation work not just on taste but also what the variety looks like in more than five key customer markets,” he explained.

“Following on from that, we also go in and discuss what you’re willing to pay for it, how frequently you’ll buy it, branding etc. We’ve not seen a consumer evaluation score as high as this

apple for a long time.”

Rogers adds that there are different needs for apples.

“Envy’s that super sweet, luxurious apple; Jazz is that small, tangy, snack on the run apple; Joli’s large and crisp with explosive juice and balanced – not just super sweet – flavour, good for sharing.”

T&G Global chief executive Gareth Edgecombe says there has been a high level of interest from Kiwi orchardists interested in growing the new variety.

Joli is described by T&G as a firm, but ‘explosively juicy and crispy’ apple. The initial planting is part of a planned 27 hectares that T&G will plant on its Hawke’s Bay orchards over the next three years.

He says a number of growers are now confirmed to receive allocations of Joli tree

stock for planting in 2024.

The new apple had been intended to launch

this year, but the effects of the cyclone have delayed the rollout until 2024.

“It’s fantastic to get the first commercial Joli trees in the ground,” Edgecombe adds. “We look forward to having the Joli apples available for consumers to purchase from 2028

onwards.”

Joli has been trialled across New Zealand to ensure the trees grow consistently in different environments and cope with various climatic conditions. Edgecombe says that the trees have very strong orcharding attributes and, as Joli begins to commercialise,

T&G will closely monitor and evaluate orchards to further inform and assist growers as planting expands in coming seasons.

Rogers told Hort News that VentureFruit is confident in a yield of 100 tons per hectare with 80% pack out rate.

LONGTIME KIWIFRUIT INNOVATOR REWARDED

DR ANNETTE Richardson has been acknowledged for her work in exploring budbreak – a crucial stage in the growth cycle of kiwifruit.

She was recently awarded the 2023 Kiwifruit Innovation Award for her extensive research around budbreak in kiwifruit. The award was established in 2015 by former Kiwifruit New Zealand chair Sir Brian Elwood to recognise people who have solved a problem or created value for the kiwifruit industry through innovation.

Richardson, a Plant & Food Research scientist, is an expert in plant physiology and has explored kiwifruit growing techniques to support future production throughout her almost 40-year career. Her work around budbreak has led to advancements that have helped increase yields and contributed to the overall quality of kiwifruit crops.

One of her first pieces of work was her involvement in the introduction of Hi-Cane – a budbreak enhancer applied once to vines in the dormant winter period – to the kiwifruit industry back in 1988. She continues to lead in this field as a vital part of the team researching alternative ways

to support budbreak in kiwifruit and learning more about the fundamental science behind this process.

Zespri chairman and award judge Bruce Cameron says Richardson has been instrumental in the continued growth and success of the kiwifruit

industry.

“Dr Richardson’s knowledge of plants and how they grow under varying conditions has helped the industry remain resilient while also helping pave the way for a more sustainable future,” he says.

“Her work in researching kiwifruit budbreak and vines, in new cultivar development and in supporting the industry’s ongoing use of Hi-Cane through modifying it for new gold and red varieties, as well as its alternatives, has helped shape the way kiwifruit is

grown and ensured the industry can adapt to meet growing demand for kiwifruit around the world and return more value back to growers and our communities.”

NZKGI chair and award judge Mark Mayston says Richardson’s work with Hi-Cane has been instrumental to the success of the kiwifruit industry today.

“The certainty that budbreak enhancers create allows for the prosperity of our industry, the returns of which, flow back into New Zealand’s communities.

“I acknowledge and congratulate Dr Richardson for her contribution to the science in this very important area.”

Richardson says the kiwifruit sector is an exciting industry to be a part of and rewarding to see all that industry has achieved over a few decades.

“Collaboration is a key part of the sector’s success and Plant & Food Research is fortunate to be working alongside great partners such as Zespri, New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated, Kiwifruit Vine Health and the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre as well as kiwifruit growers.”

Leo Argent

Annette Richardson

New Joli apple trees – planted in September – will begin to bear fruit in around three years’ time, with export volumes expected from 2028.

Delivering

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CALEB WASHINGTON Young Landscaper

MERYN WHITEHEAD Young Grower

SARAH EWE Young Florist

RENEE JOHNSON Young Amenity

TAHRYN MASON Young Viticulturist

JASON GWYNN New Arborist

LYDIA O’DOWD Young Plant Producer

Bio clips go global

A RESEARCH partnership with Scion is bearing fruit for a Christchurch company set to export biodegradable vine clips for the first time.

PolyNatural says it has begun taking commercial orders for its eco-friendly vine clips from South Australia and from vineyards across New Zealand. Made from biodegradable polymers and waste materials sourced from wood processing, the vine clips are designed to replace traditional plastic clips that are used to hold nets over ripening grapes to keep birds and other pests away. About 30 million of these plastic clips are used by the New Zealand wine industry every year.

The export milestone follows extensive product

development and trials on vineyards in New Zealand and comes five years after the first prototype clip was created by Scion scientists in collaboration with PolyNatural’s parent company EPL.

General manager for sales and marketing, Gareth Innes, says the commercialisation process has been a journey of discovery.

“Good things take time and we’ve spent several years collaborating with Scion by testing formulations, using different materials and doing a lot of field research to develop a product that we’re confident winegrowers are very satisfied with.”

Vine clips and netting are essential to wine growing operations for

WIDER HORT USE

LESSONS LEARNED during the commercialisation process and further market research has sparked additional biodegradable products for the horticulture and viticulture industries.

To support demand for riparian planting and land revegetation projects, the company began trialling biodegradable plant protectors in 2021 to improve the survival rates of young plants from pests and the elements. The product range

pest management and to prevent fruit loss. But after six to eight weeks, nets are removed and clips fall to the ground. This leaves a growing pile of non-degrading plastic littering vineyards.

With the viticulture industry keen to adopt more sustainable practices and stamp out plastic waste, Scion began developing a faster-degrading vine clip made of grape marc and bioplastic. Led by researchers Dawn Smith and Stephanie Weal, Scion trialled different prototypes in the field, testing numerous formulations before arriving at the right mechanical and physical properties.

In 2020, EPL took up the challenge of

improving the clip even further and getting it ready for production at scale.

“The technology and materials that we’re using now are different to what they were five years ago,” Innes explains. “But we couldn’t have achieved what we have if it wasn’t for the work that Scion did in those early trial stages.”

The vine clips are 100% biobased using renewable materials that have no petrochemicals or toxic additives. The material comes from waste generated from processing wood. That waste is then fermented using micro-organisms and shaped to create a durable clip that can fully degrade in the right soil conditions.

was launched commercially earlier this year.

It is also working on eco-friendly ties for the kiwifruit industry.

“There’s huge market demand for our prototype as we estimate the industry uses about 100 million plastic ties every year to hold their vines down,” Innes says.

Currently, most vine ties end up on the ground.

A number of New Zealand winemakers have successfully trialled the clips, including Cloudy Bay Vineyards in Central Otago and Marlborough.

Central Otago Vineyard

Manager Derek Beirnes describes them as the “perfect product”.

“Each clip does what it needs to do, whilst being environmentally friendly.”

As well as targeting the

Adelaide wine growing region, PolyNatural is planning to export its vine clips to Canada and France, with support from New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.

The biodegradable clips are designed to replace traditional plastic clips that are used to hold nets over crops to keep birds and other pests away.

Manufactured from High Tensile Swedish Steel

Stitching up a perfect pitch

Mark Daniel markd@ruralnews.co.nz

LAST YEAR, Vredo released its DZ5 platform – a range of newly developed, innovative machines offering a solution to (re)seed professional grass in the fine turf sector.

The newly developed Stitch roller for its DZ5 series – recently introduced as the Synergy compact – uses a double-disc principle combined with this stitch roller seeding technique.

The “stitching” process is sowing grass seed into the soil, by thin sharp tines to make many small incisions (cuts) and better trapping the seed. Typical results show a 68% germination rate, which is significantly higher than the “dimple seeders” so far available on the market.

With the Stitch Compact, Vredo has developed a seeder that incorporates two pendulum-suspended Stitch rollers to make 1600 incisions per m2. The seed is broadly deposited in the interrupted cuts and guided into the soil. An even sowing pattern is formed, due to the 17mm narrow row spacing.

The machine is intended for seeding when there is a short recovery period – maybe between sports events or in loose (rolled) soil when first seeding.

As standard, the Stitch Compact is equipped with a smooth roller to further seal the cuts and ensures that

the seed is well bedded in.

The machine has a large seed hopper, maintenance-free variator

with seamless dosage adjustment and accurate seed dosage for high efficiency. It also incorporates a

standard weight carrier for applying more weight.

www.norwood.co.nz

toatjoinZoomcallswiththeircounterparts night,extremelyinconvenienttimesofthe for example.” The conclusion of this agreement willbenefitoniongrowersandregional communities, from Pukekohe to Can- terbury. Onions are an important rota- tion crop for many vegetable growers. Having onions in a rotation allows growers to rotate between other crops such as lettuces, potatoes, carrots etc, which helps to control pests and diseases. In 2019, the

NewZealandonionindustrywasworth $200 million back to the grower, 85% of which came from exports.   MeandealwhileApicultureNewZealandsaysthe industrywillbeagreatoutcomeforthebee andwillimprovecompetitivenessinoneoftheirlargestexportmarkets. The UK consistently ranks as one of top three export markets for New Zealand honey and is worth $70 mil- lion annually. “We have strong ties with UK customers, with a long his- tory of exporting high-quality honey products there. However, the current in-quota tariff rate of 16 per cent hasbeenasignificantbarriertotrade,”says KarinKos,chiefexecutiveofApiculture New Zealand.

Vredo’ Stitch Compact is a seeder that incorporates two pendulum-suspended stitch rollers.

‘Ugly’ vegetable company on a steady path

Leo Argent

WITH MORE Kiwis tightening their belts as necessities such as fruit and vegetables becoming harder to source at an affordable price, food delivery service Wonky Box has announced a massive expansion across the North Island.

Wonky Box was founded in 2021 by Wellington farmers Angus Simms and Katie Jackson in response to a large amount of food waste faced by local growers as

in New Zealand,” Jackson says. “There’s very limited competition among the supermarkets. Fresh produce being the most expensive item in the grocery stores, we figured there’s got to be a better solution here.”

Simms and Jackson say that recent weather events causing high rates of crop damage, coupled with the cost of living crisis have caused unprecedented stress among local growers and consumers.

As people become more conscious about

Wonky Box was founded in 2021 by Wellington farmers Angus Simms and Katie Jackson in response to a large amount of food waste faced by local growers as the result of supermarkets’ cosmetic standards.

the result of supermarkets’ cosmetic standards. The two visited growers in Wellington’s outskirts, picking up produce unwanted by supermarkets but still perfectly edible and distributing it via a renovated camper van to needy rural addresses.

The company has rescued over 100,000 kilograms of produce which would have otherwise gone to waste, while simultaneously providing an extra stream of revenue to growers.

“The price of fruit and veg in the supermarkets makes us real angry, it’s not affordable, it’s not sustainable for households

sustainability and where they spend their money, Simms says Wonky Box is receiving more and more requests from around the country asking when they would be expanding their delivery services.

With the help of NZ Post’s extensive delivery network and service for perishable items, the company started delivering rescued fruit and vegetables to non-rural addresses across the North Island on July 17.

“It’s comforting to know we can now deliver healthy food options to people in smaller regional towns,” Jackson says.

“We’ll now be able to

reduce even more food waste, support more local growers, and provide fresh produce to even more households.”

Wonky Box is now available to non-rural addresses in Auckland, Gisborne, Hamilton, Napier/Hastings, New Plymouth, Manawatū, Taupō, Tauranga, Thames, Waikato, Wellington,

SUPPORT LOCAL!

TOMATOES NEW ZEALAND is encouraging NZ consumers to buy local and support New Zealand tomato growers.

“Fresh, New Zealand-grown tomatoes are in good supply as we enter spring,” says Tomatoes New Zealand chair, Barry O’Neil.

“But we also have significant volumes of imported irradiated Australian tomatoes in the market (almost 168.5 tonnes in June and July 2023).”

O’Neil explains that some imported fresh produce is irradiated to lessen the risk of fruit fly coming into New Zealand. It is a requirement that irradiated fresh produce be labelled so that consumers are aware.

“The industry has had several challenging years,

Whakatāne, Whanganui and Whangārei.

It’s estimated that one-third of all produced food is wasted each year globally and around 4% of New Zealand’s total greenhouse gas emissions are from food and organic waste. New Zealand throws away an estimated 122,547 tonnes of food each year.

where it has had to manage disease pressures, mainly due to the very poor weather,” he explains. “Also, being part of the ETS, along with ongoing production cost increases, has put many growers in uncertain financial positions.”

O’Neil says, over winter, retailers will import cheaper fresh tomatoes from Australia, which are not subject to similar ETS costs in Australia. He adds this means New Zealand growers compete on an unlevel playing field.

“However, by buying New Zealand-grown tomatoes, consumers will be supporting local growers and helping to ensure New Zealand’s long-term food security, by supporting local jobs and businesses.”

Wonky Box founders Angus Simms and Katie Jackson.

Precision twin spinner fertilizer spreader with or without two row side dresser units.