Hort News May 2019

HORTNEWS MAY 2019, ISSUE 4

World reopens for NZ asparagus – Page 8

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

WWW.RURALNEWS.CO.NZ

Successful salad story

Zespri’s Dave Courtney

SEASON SHAPING UP WELL

Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

READY-TO-EAT SALADS are proving a hit with the leading horticultural producer LeaderBrand Produce Ltd. The Gisborne company has about 3500ha under cultivation at Gisborne, Pukekohe, Matamata and Chertsey, near Ashburton.

The vegetables they grow include broccoli, squash, corn, asparagus, cabbages, spinach, kale, beetroot and lettuce. They deliver fresh to supermarkets and other outlets NZ-wide.

The company employs about 400 full time equivalents.

Chief executive Richard Burke says over the last five-ten years the company has focused on the fresh domestic market rather than exporting, although they export squash to Japan.

Burke says they simply can’t produce at a scale to compete with growers in other countries.

“We saw the challenge with exports such as the moving exchange rate and volatility around global financial issues, so we decided we would focus on the domestic business and we looked for opportunities in that,” he told Hort News.

This led to investing in the salad business which required building a high-spec salad factory in Gisborne, a big outlay including the latest equipment from Europe. The factory was commissioned two years ago and has quickly proved its worth.

“It’s taken the salad business in NZ to a new level of compliance, food safety and quality.”

The whole process is highly mechanised -- from the fields where the

Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

LeaderBrand chief executive Richard Burke.

ingredients of the salads are grown to the factory.

For example, the lettuces are grown in rows down which a special harvesting machine, attached to a tractor, travels to cut off the leaves at a set level and convey them into crates bound for the salad factory.

Here they are mixed with other ingredients and packed in a sterile environment. The end product is a plastic bag of fresh ready-to-use salad.

A key to the success of the LeaderBrand operation is its smart distribution systems, which can see product harvested in any growing area and shipped overnight for processing in Gisborne and then distributed to supermarkets NZ-wide.

Burke says strict temperature control and a good roading system is pivotal to the success of their operation.

“The importance of the roading network is huge for us and it’s a challenge

for us in Gisborne,” he explains.

“The two main roads in and out go to Napier and Whakatane and it’s critical that NZ keeps investing in those roads if the region is going to survive.”

From Gisborne the boxes of salads are quickly freighted to supermarkets.

Other products besides the salad packs are also freighted from the Gisborne hub.

• More on page 2

ZESPRI SAYS it’s excited about another strong season shaping up for the kiwifruit industry.

The chief grower and alliances officer, David Courtney, says this season started a little earlier and the industry is right into harvest now.

He told Hort News that for the first time ever they are expecting to supply more SunGold than Green.

Latest estimates are 75 million trays of SunGold and slightly fewer than 75m trays of Green.

“The dry weather in most growing regions has created some uncertainty on fruit sizing, but we’re expecting a great tasting crop,” Courtney says.

“Our first vessel has taken fruit to Japan and China, our two biggest markets. We’ll export 600,000 pallets of kiwifruit and use 18,000 containers and 45 charter vessels to transport our fruit to Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean.”

Courtney says the early feedback from the markets has been positive.

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2 HORTNEWS

MAY 2019

Consumer demand drives growth in salads

A CONFERENCE LIKE NO OTHER Mike Chapman

Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

SALAD IS having its day in the market, says LeaderBrand.

Chief executive Richard Burke estimates that it makes up 30-40% of LeaderBrand’s business, all of it customer driven.

He says the salad category has been growing annually at 5-10% over the last 20 years and puts this down to NZ consumers wanting fresh product.

“Convenience now is becoming important, so the prepared salads are in one bag with dressing and that captures the consumer’s requirements,” Burke told Hort News. “The category has grown in value and to me it’s due to a mix of technology and of people’s desire to eat fresh.”

He says the other part of the equation is having year-round supply and a consistent price. That is why Burke says LeaderBrand has invested in producing its crops in different regions.

“Whilst consumers might like their products really cheap one week, they get frustrated when it’s really expensive the next week, so our ability to now grow our prod-

ucts in multi locations gives us the ability to have some consistency and values and volumes going through the market,” he explains.

Burke says that LeaderBrand, under the direction of owner Murray McPhail, has always had a strong customer focus and almost an obsession with excellence. This

shows in both the field and in the factory where order and cleanliness are strictly observed.

At the management level, Burke says the success of the business is built on satisfying the core needs of the customer.

“You can talk about the food safety, traceability and grower story

and all that, but you need products on the shelf that look really good and that people take away and cook easily,” he adds.

“If you don’t have that as your core focus you are never going to have a product that works. What we have to do is supply food that people want to eat.”

Overseas workers help harvest ABOUT 250 new employees have already bolstered the kiwifruit industry’s worker shortage.

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc (NZKGI) says some 250 people have been able to vary the conditions of their visitor visas to work in alleviating the labour shortage in Bay of Plenty and the extension in Hawke’s Bay. At least 18,000 seasonal workers will be required to pick and pack the kiwifruit harvest this year.

The peak is expected to last until the end of May. NZKGI chief executive Nikki Johnson says the industry is pleased its campaign has boosted the numbers showing interest in working in the industry, but more will be needed at the season peak.

“As a first priority, we are calling on people who live close to orchards and packhouses to roll up their sleeves and join us in this booming industry.”

People from further afield should find somewhere to stay before they arrive, she says.

The upcoming labour shortfall at the harvest peak is reckoned at 3550 in Bay of Plenty.

KIWIFRUIT FACTS AND FIGURES The shortfall at last year’s peak was 1200.

At least 155 million trays will needing packing.

Information on employers, job types and rights are posted on the NZKGI website.

Overseas visitors should visit the Immigration NZ website for details on varying the conditions of a visa.

· Kiwifruit is NZ’s largest horticultural export. · NZ kiwifruit production is expected to jump from 123 million trays in 2017 to 190m trays in 2027. · The kiwifruit industry’s revenue is expected to jump from $2.1 billion in 2017 to $6b by 2030. · A critical labour shortage could hinder this growth. · The industry will need 7000 more workers by 2027 than it had in 2017. · In 2017 when the minimum wage was $15,75, the average wage for picking kiwifruit was $20.95. · The expected picking rate in 2019 is $23.50.

HORTICULTURE’S GROWTH is underpinned by innovation and grower know-how. This isn’t limited to growing techniques. It is also because of rapidly increasing use of technology.

Want to learn more? You can at the Horticulture Conference at Mystery Creek on July 31 to August 2.

We’ve chosen Mystery Creek for its 100ha of land and pavilions on which we will fully demonstrate what horticulture is doing now, what is next off the shelf and what new ideas are in development.

There’s also the opportunity for a bit of fun; we’re planning tractor pull- HortNZ chief executive ing compe- Mike Chapman. titions and other suitable social events.

The key opportunity at Mystery Creek, however, is to get out of the conference room and get ‘hands on’ in the field.

The conference theme is ‘Our Food Future’ and woven into this theme is a rich tapestry of cutting-edge presentations and demonstrations.

These include provenance, advanced breeding technology, the government’s ‘well-being’ budget, Maōri involvement in horticulture, health and safety, the impact of the Emissions Trading Scheme, social media, novel pest management, the future of our industry, and more.

The highlight of the conference will be our ‘Carnival of Demos’, which will include: • A flying moth dispenser, which will fly during the conference • A 3D maze with insects, demonstrating insect disruption work • A laser vibrometer, using laser and vibrations for insect disruption • New traps and lures, particularly for brown marmorated stink bug • BumbleBox – new work using bumble bees for pollination services • Printed food – through video footage and printed examples from a 3D printer • Virtual reality, where delegates can put on a headset and walk around a vineyard and orchard • Sensory – looking at some interactive sensory activity • Precision agriculture fertiliser and irrigation The conference concludes with a biosecurity simulation, and bus trips to Zealong’s Tea Plantation, Visy Plastics Factory and Hill Laboratories futuristic new facility.

This conference is made possible by the support of our sponsors, including platinum sponsor Countdown, gold sponsors Plant and Food Research and United Fresh, and all our exhibitors, demonstrators and other sponsors.

This is also the most affordable top-quality conference you’ll attend this year, with earlybird discounts open for the next few weeks.

And, in keeping with the outdoors theme, you can bring your own camper van and stay at the conference site for free.

To see the programme and register, go to https://conferences.co.nz/hortnz2019/.

HORTNEWS

MAY 2019

Apple quality great, but labour issues worry Nelson growers Tessa Nicholson

NEW ZEALAND’S second-largest apple region is looking forward to packing this month, with stunning fruit already on its way to markets overseas.

Nelson, with about 2500ha of apples, ranks behind Hawke’s Bay in the orchard stakes, but is a major player in the $1 billion industry.

According to Motueka Fruit Growers Association chairman Simon Easton, the region will be well up in quality this year, given a long, slow run into autumn.

“The fruit finish is really good. We have beautiful fruit, with high sugar and good eating quality,” he told Hort News.

With unemployment sitting around 3.5% in Nelson/Tasman (one of the lowest in the country), finding enough pickers to get the job done is a “nightmare”.

Simon Easton

However, the one in 20-year drought the region suffered this summer has impacted on all forms of horticulture including apples. Easton

says given the water restrictions over a consolidated period during the growing cycle, some growers have commented that the apple size has

been impacted.

“The drought has played a part, but a lot of people had a really big crop last year and that too has impacted this year.”

But while the weather may be different, the issue of labour – or lack of it – is following a similar pattern.

With unemployment sitting around 3.5% in Nelson/Tasman (one of the lowest in the country), finding enough pickers to get the job done is a “nightmare”, Easton says.

“If you don’t have RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employment) it is a train wreck. There’s no one out there wanting to do the

The dry and hot summer also led to many having to start picking earlier than normal.

Easton says they began picking on his orchard (Wairepo) on February 1 and won’t finish pack out until May 8.

Summer conditions in 2019 could not be more different from what the region experienced last year, when two cyclones -- Fehi and Gita -- ravaged the area with wind and rain.

3

work. And if you get foreigners, they come for a week and then they are gone. It’s an impossible situation.”

Last year, the Ministry of Social Development declared a worker shortage in the Tasman area, which lasted for six weeks during the height of the fruit picking season.

Despite the continued shortage this year, the Government has made no further declaration.

A report from Hort NZ last year said if the apple and pear industry is to grow to a $2 billion dollar industry by 2030, then 8708 more seasonal workers would be required nationally.

Where those workers are going to come from is a headache for all in the industry, Easton says.

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4 HORTNEWS

MAY 2019

Cherry picking the right investment Pam Tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND’S horticultural sector must compete on quality, taste and branding because it will never compete globally on volume and price, says MyFarm national sales

manager Grant Payton.

For its 80ha cherry business in Central Otago, MyFarm is working with Freshmax to identify high quality varieties which are protected and have their own specific market niches, Payton told a recent MyFarm seminar

in Auckland “Freshmax are not commodity traders, they are high value traders of premium food.”

MyFarm head of investment research Con Williams says NZ will always be a boutique producer so it must focus on

TOO HEAVY, MAN ON THE topic of what comes next for MyFarm, Payton answered a question on medical marijuana, saying they had done initial research but “didn’t get too heavy into it”.

“Legislation has probably stopped us getting into that right now. My gut feeling is we have missed that market because Australia is so much further ahead than we are. It is something we are monitoring.”

That includes whether it becomes a more mainstream farming option in NZ. “We are also looking at glasshouse production,” he says. “We need to intensify. Environmentally there are many reasons to go into glasshouses.

It is not cheap but medical marijuana might be quite suited to glasshouse production.”

high quality in a specific niche. The PVR (plant variety rights) story is very important, he says.

When asked about Chile ramping up cherry production, Payton said Chile is pouring a lot of money into marketing.

“We are coming in on the back of that with a better quality product,” he says. “They are almost opening up new opportunities for us.”

Freshmax representative Jim Tarawa says there have been recent examples with cherries and other products where different markets have opened up to a larger share of imports.

“Everyone thinks it is the end of the world because there is more competition.”

But Tarawa says these new producers pour money into promoting consumption and making consumers more aware of the product. The market doesn’t get smaller for NZ, it gets bigger.

Con Williams says cherries are probably only 1% of the fruit bowl at present.

The comments arose when MyFarm was outlining the $19.9 million Central Cherry Orchard Ltd Partnership with Freshmax in the Waikerikeri Valley. Freshmax will develop, manage, export and market the fruit from 72,000 trees to be planted in the next three years.

NZ is a niche producer of high quality sweet cherries for the main fes-

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

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

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

Con Williams

to work.

The Central Cherry partnership is looking at booking out backpacker accommodation for the whole summer. It is also growing varieties that will result in a staggered harvest over six-eight weeks, reducing peak labour requirements.

tive season in Asia – the Chinese New Year.

Asked about labour, Payton says MyFarm syndicates are investing in accommodation for cherry orchards and hop gardens (in Nelson) because they recognise the need make the businesses attractive places

HORTNEWS

The secret behind success – Page 6

ISSUE 1

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

OCTOBER 2018

Peter Burke

peterb@ruralnew

s.co.nz

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

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

Mathieson told Hort

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

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

7 page more – See

attractive price and sumers at a more d. well. has helped drive deman and they are that Taiwan is doing “It’s going well in Japan “At the same time, market in r-one numbe number-one conour our once again well and is now are also seeing great per capita in the market on Asia this year. We sumpti and have seen the growth in Korea world.” lly come down. ers have always duties start to gradua European consum duty on our ters of Zespri green, “We used to pay 45% been strong suppor but with NZ’s free consumers there exports to Korea, but Mathieson says duties the them attracted to Suntrade agreement with now starting to be and we have are off is because Suncome to this have started gold. He believes is kiwifruit to consweeter taste and been able to offer our gold has a slightly eat. to easy and continues “France is going well RURAL NEWS GROUP market for us. In to be a high growth a years, it has been the last couple of European region. real performer in the good growth in And we are also seeing Benthe Spain, in s all our major market ny and Italy.” elux region, Germa

YOUR HORT NEWS!

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

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

We hope you enjoy Adam Fricker General manager Rural News Group

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HORTNEWS

MAY 2019

Organic lifestyle a winner Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

MARK AND Catriona White decided 12 years ago to grow organic kiwifruit.

While it was deemed to be a good business decision, their main reason was to give their children a taste of living in the country, something they had both experienced growing up on farms.

At the time, White was working for NZ Post and wife Catriona was a school teacher.

“When our oldest child was about to start school, we wrote a list of what we wanted in our life to give her the experiences that we had experienced when we were young,” White told Hort News.

“So that was the pathways back to the land and Opotiki in the eastern Bay of Plenty. My wife’s family offered us land they had been growing kiwifruit on from the late 1970s.”

He says growing organic kiwifruit seemed like a viable business option and it appealed to them. “Because as a family we could work in that business and feel safe producing a product that

others can enjoy as much as we can producing it.”

Their block is 13ha, some of it bush. Streams through the property have all been fenced off and they have organic sheep that graze the orchard and keep the weeds down.

White says because theirs was a greenfields development they were able to plant tree species such as Japanese cedar, which reduced the habitat for pests.

“One of the differences is that we work with nature. We believe that everything needs to live and find equilibrium in the environment. We use targeted pest control measures.”

About 60% of the Whites’ crop is SunGold and 40% haywards Zespri organic green. The mature vines are doing 15,000 trays per ha and the total across the farm is 70,000 trays.

“At the moment, we get a $2.20 premium for SunGold, while the Zespri organic green is sold in a separate pool from ordinary green and those returns are considerably above the conventional price per tray.

“Most of the Zespri organic green goes to

Citrus sector signs up BIOSECURITY NEW Zealand and Citrus New Zealand have agreed on how to prepare for and respond to biosecurity threats to the citrus sector.

They signed an agreement for readiness and response on April 3, under the Government-Industry Agreement (GIA) partnership. They will start a joint three-year project to better protect the citrus industry from biosecurity threats.

“The GIA partnership enables us to work with industry to better understand the risks and how we might deal with them if they reach our shores,” says Roger Smith, head of Biosecurity NZ. Biosecurity NZ and Citrus NZ joined the GIA in 2014 and 2016 respectively. The two will jointly agree and fund activities to improve preparedness for incursions of pests and pathogens.

Citrus NZ chair Wayne Hall says the sector values the GIA partnership with Biosecurity NZ. “This agreement gives our relatively small sector the opportunity to take action to minimise the risks from diseases that could devastate our citrus production. It’s a big commitment for the industry, but this shows how seriously Citrus NZ takes our biosecurity to protect our orchards.”

Citrus NZ represents 320 NZ citrus growers producing about 30,500 tonnes of lemons, mandarins, oranges, tangelos, grapefruit, limes and other hybrids annually.

Europe and SunGold mostly goes to Asia and Japan.

“There is a lot of demand for organic produce in California where we’ve been twice to study the organic market.”

White says millennials – aka young people – are having an impact on the market. All the statistics show these consumers are

demanding more transparent production of their food and want to know more about the process of growing it.

“When buying a product, they also consider the environmental impact of the food they are eating. I guess it’s called safe food – safe to eat, safe for the environment and safe for the people growing it,”

he says.

Mark and Catriona White enjoy their business. They do most of the work themselves, and get some help from backpackers who work part time at the peak of the season.

For them, as growers of organic kiwifruit, their dreams have been realised.

Mark and Catriona White.

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6 HORTNEWS

MAY 2019

Northland is going bananas Sudesh Kissun sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

COULD BANANAS be the next big thing in New Zealand?

The fruit, associated with warm tropical climates on the equator, is proving popular with enterprising horticulturalists from Northland to Gisborne. It could even one day help NZ grow enough bananas to become self-sufficient.

The semi-tropical climate of Northland is already proving an excellent hub for a band of enthusiastic and increasingly commercially focused banana growers, working under the Tropical Fruit Growers of NZ group.

Farming on a 40ha property near Parua Bay, on Northland’s east coast, Hugh Rose, the president of Tropical Fruit Growers of NZ is growing a veritable fruit bowl of tropical produce. Varieties of exotic fruit compete for visitors’ taste-buds – pineapples, bananas, dragon fruit, pawpaw and even sugar cane.

He classes bananas as the easiest crop in the world to grow, benefitting from NZ’s low disease and pest levels compared to

the tropics, and capable of producing fruit almost constantly through the year once temperatures exceed 14C. With 17 varieties growing, there is increasing consumer interest in the NZ-sourced bananas that sell for about $8/kg at the Whangarei farmers’ market.

“And with the number of enthusiasts we now have on board, there should be enough bananas growing now for Northland to be selfsufficient in a couple of years.”

Rose’s calculations on potential earnings would make most horticulturalists sit up and take notice.

He reckons that 1500 plants per hectare could yield at least 15,000kg of bananas a year. Even at $2/kg this would return $30,000/ha.

As for the sort of climate conducive to banana growing, Rose says growers are producing bananas in Invercargill. “Admittedly they’re under tunnel shelter, but there are growers throughout Northland, Bay of Plenty, and down to Gis-

borne all producing good crops,” he told Hort News.

As a highly water-efficient, funnel shaped plant they do not require much irrigation, grow well on most soil types and tolerate many pests and diseases.

The fruit also sits well alongside traditional pastoral activities like dairying.

“Dairy effluent is high in nitrogen and phosphate, exactly what bananas love, and the plant just sucks up those nutrients, making it an ideal crop alongside a dairy operation.”

It is also a source of cattle feed, with all the banana plant edible by stock.

Since Tropical Fruit Growers was formed, it has helped plant over

10,000 stems and plantings, coming into production over the next two years.

But for NZ to be selfsufficient in home-grown bananas it will take much more plantings, says Rose.

“We need a heck of a lot more. We have a backlog of orders but source plants are hard to obtain physically and logistically,” Rose said.

“We are all volunteers without government handouts so do our best to help others coming into the business, but we also have our own businesses to run. At the current rate of planting, I would say probably another 10-15 years before NZ becomes self-sufficient.”

Hugh Rose

YES, WE HAVE BANANAS HUGH ROSE believes there are small banana plantations around Auckland run by Pacific islanders.

He says good plantations can be found between Matakana and the Far North. Some of those farms could be 50-60ha in total, he says.

“If we assume they are producing 10kg bunches and 1000 clumps/ha then the total production will be 600,000700,000kg of fruit.

“This is a very small amount compared to what NZ consumes and all fruit is sold locally,” he said. “We have foursix regular sellers of bananas at the Whangarei farmers’ market who are sold out most Saturdays before 8am.”

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

Bayleys Whangarei horticulture and lifestyle specialist Vinni Bhula says the appealing climate and supply of smaller scale lifestyle blocks available in Northland set the region up well for produce.

BULLY MACHINES MAKE GOOD IMPRESSION Mark Daniel markd@ruralnews.co.nz

FOUNDED IN 1955, Pukekohe-based Fieldmaster is well known New Zealand-wide for its mowing and post driving equipment for the agricultural, orchard, viticulture and municipal sectors.

In 2018, the company launched the Cosmo Bully range, with products designed in Italy and manufactured in a modern factory in India.

Already well-known in Australia, where Bully has a loyal following, the range includes mulchers, rotary hoes, power harrows and fertiliser spreaders.

First impressions are of simple, heavy-duty engineering, attention to detail and a high-quality powder coated finish.

Cosmo BPF mulchers are offered in three sizes from 1.8 to 2.25m working widths. A heavy-duty three-point linkage is offered with Cat 1 or 2 mounting pins and a hydraulic offset of 467mm.

A 540 rpm PTO input takes drive to a 100hp rated central gearbox with

Cosmo Bully M120 power harrow with packer roller.

an integral free-wheel clutch to deal with overrun when the PTO is disengaged, protecting the tractor and the machine.

Drive is then transferred to a left side housing that uses four XPB-section belts to power the 170mm diam-

eter rotor with cast-iron, inverted-T flails. The main rotor bearings are carried internally to maximise operating width and resist wrapping of debris or junk such as twine or wire.

At the rear of the mulcher a row of adjustable steel tines works with the

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8 HORTNEWS

MAY 2019

World reopens for NZ asparagus Nigel Malthus

AN ASPARAGUS breeder sees scope for the industry making a “tremendous breakthrough” via the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Dr Peter Falloon, a former DSIR plant scientist, said New Zealand used to export 1600 tonnes of the delicacy, but has lately “gone off the radar”.

“I think we’d have been lucky last year to have exported 100 tonnes,” he told Hort News.

The reason, he says, is that Mexico has a free trade agreement with Japan, while Japan and Korea impose tariffs of 28 or 30% on our asparagus.

Falloon expects the trade to pick up as those tariffs fall under the CPTPP. He points out that Mexican asparagus grows

fast in the heat, using up its sugars, while NZ asparagus grows more slowly in the cooler climate and ends up tasting better.

Falloon no longer produces large quantities of asparagus spears himself.

However, he has carved out a niche as the only asparagus breeder in the southern hemisphere – and one of only six in the world – producing seed and crowns for both the domestic and export markets.

“If the asparagus industry in NZ thrives then we thrive. If they’re on the down then we’re on the down,” Falloon says.

A recognised expert on the fungal disease phytophthora, he offers the only phytophthora-resistant asparagus strains.

Falloon earned his PhD studying asparagus diseases in California when working for the

Matthew Falloon inspects a harvest of asparagus seed. The seed, still mixed with some plant debris at this stage, is being dried in a bin with warm air percolating up from a grille in the bottom of the bin. RURAL NEWS GROUP

Crop Research division of the DSIR. He struck out on his own in 1999, after Crop Research became a “corporate giant”. Plant and Food “and the days of sitting down with your director and talking science vanished.”

He set up his company Aspara Pacific on a 3ha property, near Templeton, near Christchurch. Origi-

nally part of a mushroom farm and also previously used for propagating calla lilies, it came with its own tissue culture lab.

“Best thing I ever did, I think.”

He also bought a farm at Greenpark, near Lake Ellesmere, where saline soils are ideal for asparagus. There he ran the main asparagus pack-

house in the South Island, growing about 20ha of asparagus and packing for seven or eight other growers. It served domestic and export markets, some going as far as England, but most to Japan or Australia.

However, Falloon says the farm was primarily to fund his continued research. Five years ago,

BREEDING STARTING TO PAY OFF ASPARA OFFERS Pacific Challenger, a phytophthoratolerant variety of asparagus, which Falloon says took 25 years of breeding, arising from his original PhD research.

“So, we’re the only ones with any tolerance to that disease.”

It rots the spears below ground level so is not readily visible and its effects are probably highly underestimated by growers,” he says.

It can reduce yields by 50% and cause establishment failures up to 80% if sown in wet ground.

“The last two [seasons] in the North Island have been diabolically wet. Growers consistently had very low yields and most of that was probably due to phytophthora.”

He says the problem will only get worse with expected climate change, since NZ’s main asparagus growing regions are Waikato Ripe asparagus berries during seed harvest time at Aspara Pacific. and Horowhenua – both supplier of a purple variety expected to get wetter. called Pacific Purple that “If you’re planting strategiproduces a dark purple spear cally you plant in drier areas with a very sweet flavour. or you use phytophthoraFalloon admits consumer resistant varieties.” resistance to the unusual Aspara is also the only

colour means demand is only gradually increasing but it is “slow and steady.”

“The Japanese particularly like it because of higher antioxidant content plus the sweeter flavour, and it’s got less fibre.”

Falloon also offers an early-producing plumpspeared variety called Endeavour.

He explains that when planted shallow, asparagus generally produces early in the season, whereas slender spears planted deep they produce fatter spears, but later.

he sold the main block to LeaderBrand. The property is still producing well, on plants which Falloon established 19 years ago.

The sale freed him up to do a lot more asparagus breeding and consultancy in NZ and overseas, including working for NZ companies setting up asparagus farms in Mexico and Peru.

Falloon remains a consultant with LeaderBrand, now the biggest grower in the South Island with about 40ha. He also supplies the country’s biggest grower, Horowhenua’s Geoff Lewis, with about 120ha.

Meanwhile, Aspara still maintains a 20ha breeding farm at Greenpark, producing seed and young asparagus crowns for replanting.

In season, they also still sell a few spears at the farm gate and farmers’ markets in Christchurch.

His wife Linda manages the tissue culture lab – now working on potatoes and asparagus – while their son Matthew runs the farm with the help of five permanent employees and up to seven or eight casuals at the height of the season.

The plants are pollinated by hand. Each autumn mature female ferns are cut by hand and fed into a header to harvest their red berries, each one of which contains five or six black seeds.

Seeds are either sold direct to growers or planted to produce young crowns, which are lifted and graded at about a year old.

Most go to domes-

tic commercial growers, and some to retail garden centres via a licensed distributor. Seed is sold to growers in Mexico, England, Germany, Japan, China, Australia, Peru and elsewhere.

Falloon says asparagus is a valuable crop, emerging in spring when not much else is producing.

It is relatively risk-free from frost damage, since new spears will emerge to replace any damaged by a late frost.

It requires very little fertiliser, about 100kg/ ha of N applied after the spears are picked, so it is taken up by the growing ferns through summer.

The ferns are then chopped up to return nutrients to the soil before the next season.

Asparagus is very labour-intensive, but robotic harvesting is coming within the next 10 years, Falloon believes.

The key now is the imaging so the machinery can recognise when product is market quality or a reject.

“We’re inching closer to robotics in asparagus. There’s a German machine that picks white asparagus robotically.

They’re not as quick as humans, but the beauty of it is they run 24/7 and so you catch up.”

There are also good sorting machines being developed.

“In horticulture now is there is a huge expansion in kiwifruit and apples and blueberries, but the real limitation is labour,” Falloon said.

“Why would you grow a premium crop if it’s not going to get picked?”

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HORTNEWS

MAY 2019

9

Climate change may impact Peter Burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

CLIMATE CHANGE may force the kiwifruit industry to look for new places to grow its vines – especially the green hayward variety.

NIWA’s new chief scientist for climate, atmosphere and hazards, Dr Andrew Tait, says the hayward variety needs a cold winter to induce bud break and

flowering in spring. But as Bay of Plenty becomes warmer in winter, achieving this will naturally become more difficult, he says.

“At present, one of the adaptation strategies to counter the warmer winters is to apply a chemical called Hi Cane, short for hydrogen cyanimide, used to stimulate some of that bud break when they don’t get the sufficient winter chilling they want natu-

Andrew Tait

rally,” Tait told Hort News.

“There are ways of fooling the plant to do what nature does, but

during our study of the kiwifruit industry there were questions being asked about the use of this chemical in respect of the market accepting it.”

Tait says the use of chemical could become a food safety issue and so the industry may need to look at other adaptation responses, e.g. looking at regions with cooler winters which could naturally trigger bud break and spring flowering.

Dr Jian Guan

Super-fruit punching above its weight NEW ZEALAND blackcurrants have been found by the University of Auckland to have high levels of a key nutrient that can support the brains of ageing humans.

The world-first discovery by associate-professor Dr Jian Guan of the university’s Centre for Brain Research found NZ blackcurrants contain high levels of cyclic Glycine-Proline (cGP), a key brain nutrient that normalises a hormone essential for whole-body health.

Guan, after 30 years research, says low levels of cGP are commonly found in older people. It can decline with age so the high natural level of cGP in NZ blackcurrants can help maintain these levels.

“I like to call it the maintenance of ageing,” says Guan.

“It is an exciting finding because it is something completely natural that can support your body and mind to stay healthy as you age.”

Guan came across “the power of NZ blackcurrants” by chance when researching levels of cGP in patients who had NZ blackcurrants added to their diet. She found increased levels of cGP after four weeks of consuming blackcurrants. “It’s unique to see a response like this in a natural product,” she says.

Guan has worked with NZ blackcurrant specialists Vitality New Zealand to develop Brain Shield, a blackcurrant supplement for daily consumption. The product is formulated to deliver an average daily dose required to maintain an optimum level of cGP in the body as we age.

Jim Grierson, the managing director of Vitality New Zealand, co-founded the company with blackcurrant grower David Eder. Grierson says they have known about the health benefits of NZ blackcurrants for many years and now have the science to show this.

“NZ blackcurrants have a natural and very high level of cGP, which is unique to our locally grown blackcurrants.

This is a major development for the industry.”

He says Brain Shield is a combination of NZ blackcurrant and flax seed oil (linseed), along with two stabilising minerals to complete the formulation. The flax seed oil delivers Omega 3 to complement the natural cGP found in blackcurrants.

“NZ blackcurrants really are a super-fruit. This discovery comes at a time when the NZ blackcurrant industry is undergoing a transition as consumers become more aware of how good they are for whole-body health,” Grierson says.

“We are also seeing a growing interest from the scientific community in the health supporting properties found naturally in our blackcurrants and we are excited to see what other benefits may come to light.”

The hormone that cGP normalises is called Insulinlike Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1). www.brainshield.co.nz

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10 HORTNEWS

MAY 2019

Hort sector feeling positive Pam Tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

HORTICULTURALISTS ARE positive about their own businesses and their investment intentions, says Rabobank’s horticultural analyst Hayden Higgins.

This is seen in a recent Rabobank rural confidence survey, completed in mid-March, which included surveying 54 horticulturalists nationwide.

Results showed 38% (34% in November 2018) expected their businesses to improve in the next 12 months, 42% (54% in November 2018) expected them to stay the same and 20% (10%) expected them to worsen.

Despite their concerns about Government regulation and global trade issues, Higgins told Hort News the horticultural sentiment is pretty positive.

“We are seeing a flow into export receipts as well,” he says. “And they continue to lift into Asia so it is a positive story.”

Hayden Higgins

But there are potential downside risks, he warns.

“We don’t know how they will play out in the short to medium term.”

The main reasons horticulturalists gave for expecting the agricultural economy to improve were rising commodity prices (57%), good season (26%) and a falling New Zealand dollar (13%).

The main reasons they gave for expecting the agricultural economy to worsen were government policies (66%), overseas markets (34%), rising input costs (24%), falling

commodity prices (10%) and poor marketing (8%).

Higgins says imports of NZ fresh produce into China and Asia have increased in the last couple of years.

“China’s imports of fresh fruit and nuts have continued to increase in the last six months to December 2018 compared to the previous year.

“While China appears to be going through a bit of an economic slowdown, consumers there still seem to be spending on fresh produce and particularly from NZ.

Kiwifruit is one of many industries in the NZ hort sector feeling positive at present.

“Asia still seems to be where a lot of the growth is occurring. It is our biggest market for exports for fresh produce. But there are other strong growth stories, in the US and North America, for apples. Importation of NZ

GOVERNMENT WORRIES HORTICULTURALISTS ARE worried about increasing government regulation, Higgin says.

“They had minor concerns around what is going on in the global markets, but mostly their focus appears to be what is happening inside NZ, particularly related to increasing government regulation.

“That could be water, regulation of the environment and policies on minimum wages and the Recognised Employers Scheme. All those kinds of factors seem to be weighing a little bit on the sector.”

While the overall outlook is positive, concern has risen markedly since 2017 about government intervention. And growers are watching NZ’s key trading markets. “[Take] Brexit; there is a lot of uncertainty about what that may bring.”

Some key horticultural products, especially wine or fresh fruit, go to Europe or UK. Brexit raises concerns about access, trade issues and consumption levels.

“And also into China and Asia you’ve got this sort of general economic slowdown in China.”

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wine is also very strong there, so it is not just an Asia story.”

Despite growers’ concerns about what is occurring domestically and potential challenges globally they still have strong incentives to invest, Higgins says.

“A significant propor-

tion are going to maintain investment where it has been for the last 12 months or increase it,” he adds. “You can see that in sectors such as avocados, cherries, apples and kiwifruit a lot of investment is going into productive assets.

“That shows partici-

pants in the sector feel they have confidence to continue to invest. The key is that for any of the agriculture sector, but particularly horticulture, people have to have a positive outlook. There can be volatility over time.” @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

MADE JUST FOR KIWIFRUIT AMONG THE hort sprayers Croplands Equipment has made for 45 years, two kiwifruit sprayers stand out: the selfpropelled SP Cropliner and the trailed Kiwiliner.

Since the SP Cropliner first appeared in 2014, Croplands has greatly improved the strength of its mechanical driveline. A two-year driveline warranty now applies.

Each Cropliner sprayer is supplied with two sets of ceramic nozzles, a spray rate controller, reversing camera, spray vision camera, LED headlights and protective galvanised bump rails.

The unit has a double clutch, two-

speed, 820mm Fieni fan with stainless steel cowling and back plate that sits below the tank to prevent crop damage.

Large flotation tyres, compact size and 2600kg tare weight enable spraying in conditions not usually possible with a tractor-trailer combination.

The fan and nozzle positioning has been improved to achieve even, consistent coverage, using the same componentry as the trailed Kiwiliner.

Trials have shown even spray coverage on both sides of the canes, the canopy and fruit in a single pass. This eliminates the need for spraying in alternate directions. – Mark Daniel

MAY 2019

Robot apple picker a world-first Pam Tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

IN A world-first, T&G Global is using a robotic harvester for a commercial apple harvest at its Hawkes Bay orchards.

It is the culmination of four years work with US technology partner Abundant Robotics.

T&G Global chief operating officer Peter

physical demands of the work on our people and boosting productivity.

“This will enable us to continue the growth that is being achieved in the apple industry without being constrained by the current shortages of labour.”

T&G’s parent company BayWa AG invested in Abundant Robotics two years ago as part of its

“Automation enables us to continue to scale to meet increasing global demand for food, in the face of current and future labour market challenges. We’ve been actively driving towards this for the past few years, including preparing our orchards to be robot-ready.”

Landon-Lane says the company is delighted that T&G’s home operations in New Zealand are at the forefront of this development.

“Automation enables us to continue to scale to meet increasing global demand for food, in the face of current and future labour market challenges,” he says. “We’ve been actively driving towards this for the past few years, including preparing our orchards to be robot-ready.”

The Abundant Robotics technology is being used to pick a range of apple varieties including T&G’s proprietary Jazz and Envy destined for supermarkets in NZ and overseas.

Landon-Lane says it will be some years before all T&G orchards are harvested in this way, but this first harvest with Abundant Robotics is a step forward.

“Apple-picking is tough physical work and it’s seasonal. Robotic technology complements the work our people do with its ability to pick a large proportion of the fruit, much of it at the upper levels of the trees, reducing the

strategy to expand digitisation across its agribusiness. High density planting and specific pruning at T&G’s Hawkes Bay orchards make them suitable for Abundant Robotics technology.

Canopy innovation and trialling of different ways of achieving automation compatibility has been a feature of orchard expansion work since 2017.

Abundant Robotics chief executive Dan Steere says the company evolved from its research origins after creating a proofof-concept prototype in 2015.

“With T&G Global we are able to run a yearround development programme leveraging work with US apple growers and NZ orchards during the complementary northern and southern hemisphere harvesting seasons,” he says.

“Developing an automated apple harvester requires solving a number of complex technical problems in parallel -visually identifying harvestable fruit, physically manipulating it, picking without bruising and safely navigating the orchard itself.”

HORTNEWS

The world’s first commercial robotic apple harvest at T&G’s Hawkes Bay orchards with Abundant Robotics.

RURAL MEDIA HABITS

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

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11

ANIMAL HEALTH

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What makes staff join and stay? PAGE 12

TO ALL FARMERS, FOR NOVEMBER 20, 2018: ISSUE

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

DIRA out of date? PAGE

NEWS

5

RAIN WATCH

Managing the wet PAGE 17

Lewis Road Creamery makes inroads into US market.

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NOVEMBER 13, 2018

ALL FARMERS

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o.nz 665 www.ruralnews.c

NZ’s Brexit blast!

ANOTHER ATTACK

environTHE MULTI-NATIONAL mental activist group Greenpeace of of sheepmeat and 14,000 Zealand is again targeting the New a legal agreement tonnes – and this was pretty to under- are just throwing calling for it doesn’t beef to Britain WTO agreement. They need farming sector, this time agreement. out the window and saying fertilhe says. much a UK/NZ free trade PETER BURKE stand they have obligations, a ban on the use of nitrogen told Rural News. joined the EU, NZ clearly that matter,” McIvor matter to When Britain The WTO agreement specified isers. peterb@ruralnews.co.nz “Well it absolutely does huge concessions and the the last have access for 228,000 deal under had to make The group has spent executive has NZ would us. It is a legally binding parties need to remember BEEF + Lamb NZ’s chief sheepmeat and 1300 tonnes sides made other two few years blaming the agricultural Britain and tonnes of WTO rules and both says. country’s made a stinging attack on and that this could be spread they need to this, he sector for polluting the to forget their plans to of beef choices at the time and campaign“These people are tending the European Union over the whole of the EU. waterways and rivers, sheep and for sheep- flexibly across honour that.” and criticising that we have been exporting introduce inflexible quotas EU are saying that the and irrigation joined UK the against Britain But ing when Brexit McIvor says before EU for over 130 gas emiswhen Brexit meat to the two entities in beef products to the quota will be split 50/50 agriculture’s greenhouse TO PAGE 3 the European Economic Community occurs.

300,000 sions. to have finally takes place.

NZ was sending at least Sam McIvor says they seem the EU and the UK 1973, sights are the two like its in seems “It Now a over co-oper“conveniently short memories” farmer-owned fertiliser and NZ via Ballance, deal struck by the EU, UK atives Ravensdown and (WTO) sell 98% the World Trade Organisation which Greenpeace claims EU. when Britain joined the of all fertiliser used in NZ. talks in McIvor, just home from “Chemical nitrogen fertiliser farming industrial Canada and Europe with is the fuel that drives the EU and camgroups and officials, says dairying,” claims Greenpeace ignoring proonto the UK are completely paigner Gen Toop. “It is spread the original tests by NZ to honour NZ’s dairy farms in ever-increasing and more amounts to grow more grass for too many cows.”

Toop says the use of nitrogen seven-fold fertiliser has increased since 1990.

Miller-Brown holds his AMBERLEY FARMER Charles is a judge Symon Howard, “Chemical nitrogen fertiliser White Dorper ewe as livestock the climate and attributes that won her of Lawrence, explains the double-whammy for the on ewe with lamb at foot class, number top prize in the breed’s in our rivers. It increases the Zealand Agricultural Show the first day of the New greenthat the ewe had a real of cows, which increases Christchurch. Howard remarked of sheep. She sort proud pollution very “a and nice carcase and looked house gas emissions to be here.” it directly looked like she wanted what you of rivers. On top of that breeder to me, and that’s “She looked like a real leaches emits nitrous oxide and want in your females.” and of the ewes was very good Howard said the standard nitrate into waterways.” accuse the class was closely fought. ones at Toop and Greenpeace a wee bit mixed but the “The ram hoggets were of “profitthree very good sheep.”

Ravensdown and Ballance the top end were two or 18 sheep to this year’s show destruction”. brought had environmental Miller-Brown ing off to a Southdowns, and was off including Suffolks and still “It’s time the Government his second ribbon so far, good start, the win being chemjudging. reigned them in and banned early on the first day of New renamed this year as the The Canterbury Show, ical nitrogen fertiliser.” the country

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The competition ran for three months in Rural News, Dairy News and their Unique Print Entries 2,283 (42%) associated websites and newsletters 3,158 (58%) using a mix of half and full page print ads, Unique Online Entries digital banner ads, EDMs and editorial 5441 published across both platforms. It was a Total Unique Entries strong branding exercise for Suzuki and Rural News Group, but it also drove engagement, with Print driving 62% of the total response, including over a third of the online entrants.

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

ONLINE ENTRANTS - the connection between print and digital The majority of entries were on line, but at 58%, not by much.

USER REFERRALS ONLINE % Looking at the breakdown of online From newspaper advert: 35% of online entries ● 35% of them were referred directly from the print ads in Rural News or Dairy News to the website URL (i.e. they From newsletter: 33% of online entries saw the URL in the ad and entered it directly into their From Facebook: 16% of online entries browser). ● This gives a combined print and direct from print to From Google: 9% of online entries online entry percentage of 62%.

From website advert: 7% of online entries ● 33% were referred from the Rural News Group weekly email newsletter to the website page ● The rest arrived at the competition landing page via Facebook, Google and website ads. One spin-off benefit was 1,273 New Newsletter Subscribers signed up when entering.