Developments

T & G Global re-commits to growing horticulture sector

T&G Global has announced it has signed an extended five-year sponsorship agreement with the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture Education Trust which runs the Young Horticulturalist of the Year competition. RNZIH Members from left to right: Leigh Cornes, Elle Anderson – Chair, Elenka Nikolof, Ben Buchanan, Andrew Keaney, Cathrine Ming, Tara McLeod, Susan Tremain, Inrid Ennis and Nicola Rochester. T&G has supported the annual competition since it started in 2005, renewing annually, as a top-tier partnering sponsor but the growing need for more talent in the industry has led T&G to double its financial support through to 2022. Andrew Keaney, T&G’s executive general manager, New Zealand produce, says T&G considers competitions like the Young Horticulturalist of the Year to be incredibly important. “They’re vital for developing and recognising the next generations’ skills and knowledge to ensure that as an industry, we are collectively supporting our future leaders.” T&G’s strengthened commitment will enable a significant step-up in gear for the competition says Young Horticulturalist of the Year organiser Susan Tremain. “Securing a five-year strategic partnership from a company of T&G’s stature is a massive vote of confidence for the growing relevance of the competition, which not only sets the bar for the industry, but horticulture’s rise as potentially the economic powerhouse of New Zealand’s future. “It also sends a strong signal that the major players in our economy are committed to taking horticulture to a bigger and better future for our sector, and for the young talented Kiwis who are building that future in horticulture,” adds Susan. “The world needs food and the planet needs it to be produced sustainably – there’s a reason we are calling horticulture ‘the new black’”. Andrew Keaney continues saying the competition also supports the growing horticulture industry which is now worth $8 billion. “As an […]

Major waste-to-energy project honored for innovation

A major waste-to-energy project incorporating GWE RAPTOR anaerobic digestion technology available throughout Australasia has been honored as a Finalist in this year’s American Biogas Council Industry Awards. The Quantum Biopower organic-waste-to-energy project in Connecticut USA began producing biogas this year that will be used to generate electricity, demonstrating financial and environmental benefits achievable locally and globally by converting up to 40,000 tons of organic waste annually into environmentally harmonious green energy and dry bio fertiliser. The RAPTOR technology is one of a suite of GWE clean water/green energy technologies represented in Australasia by CST Wastewater Solutions, which already has successful GWE technology installations operating locally in the food, beverage and agribusiness industries. including meat processing and other industries with a biological waste stream. CST Wastewater Solutions Mr Michael Bambridge says the latest award for GWE anaerobic technologies shows their effectiveness and versatility for not only many more industrial uses, but also for municipal applications. The Quantum Biopower plant, serving the central Connecticut region, incorporates its GWE RAPTOR rapid anaerobic digestion system at the heart of its process that harvests mixed organic wastes for conversion into enough biogas (primarily methane) to generate 1.2 MW of electricity and up to 5.6 tons a day of dry bio fertiliser. The Finalist award to the Quantum Biopower project in October follows other major waste-to-energy awards for technologies represented by CST Wastewater Solutions, including one earlier this year for a project incorporating GWE technologies into the world’s largest integrated pineapple operation, Del Monte Philippines Inc. (DMPI), which won the Best Water and Wastewater Solutions Provider honor at the Asian Manufacturing Awards. RAPTOR technology has also won a global environmental engineering from the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), which represents more than 40,000 chemical engineers worldwide. This latest honor for Quantum Biopower is a major achievement, […]

Flowfresh hygiene credentials on show

Flowfresh was developed to meet a demand in the food and beverage industry for a floor that would withstand the sector’s unique challenges. Without an adequate finish underfoot, food and beverage plants were vulnerable to a long list of unwanted costs and problems. With an average life-span of approximately 15 years, food producers that have installed a Flowfresh finish know that the facility is protected for the long term against the costs and concerns of a failing floor. Lifecycle Cost Considerations The initially higher cost of installing a thicker, fit-for-purpose flooring solution can lead F&B businesses to opt for a cheaper alternative, however this logic often backfires and ends up costing the company more money over time. This point was exemplified by a formula on lifecycle cost considerations devised by Flowcrete Group Ltd.’s Technical Director, Grant Adamson. The equation takes the initial expense of a floor and adds to it annual maintenance costs, such as cleaning, repairs and upkeep as well as the price of replacing a failed floor, including the costs incurred by shutting down production. The formula is: Lifecycle Cost Considerations (LCC) Formula LCC = C + MPW + RPW The capital cost (C) of a project includes the initial capital expense for engineering, products and installation. Maintenance (M) is the sum of all yearly scheduled operation and maintenance associated with floor repairs. (R) is the replacement cost of a failed floor, including the financial impact of shutting down production. In some circumstances, the cost of a floor failure can be excessive when a food borne illness outbreak starts out as contaminant build-up in the hard to clean gaps and cracks of a deteriorating floor and from there goes on to infect produce en masse. This point was exemplified by the case of the cantaloupe producer Jensen Farms, […]

Holstein Friesian Genetic Leaders reaches unprecedented success

Holstein Friesian New Zealand (HFNZ) and CRV Ambreed’s joint sire proving programme, Holstein Friesian Genetic Leaders, has reached an unprecedented strike rate of bulls graduating to market with the latest addition to the CRV catalogue, Rivendell GForce Axel. With six bulls in the team annually, and at least one bull on average per team graduating to be marketed by CRV, Holstein Friesian Genetic Leaders is the most successful sire proving programme in the bull industry to date. The Holstein Friesian Genetic Leaders programme has been running for 22 years, with the aim of ensuring the best genetics within New Zealand’s own pedigree Holstein Friesian population are sourced and made available to the dairy industry. Over 18 HFNZ-member-owned pedigree bulls have reached market via CRV since 1995 (with at least one per year for the last 11 years), realising many and varying benefits to HFNZ, its members and the wider dairy industry. “We’ve been enjoying success with the Holstein Friesian Genetic Leaders programme for 22 years now, and the ongoing, long-term nature of it has seen excellent genetics from HFNZ members’ pedigree herds enter the market,” says Doug Courtman, HFNZ Sire Proving Committee Chairperson. Danie Swart, CRV Sire Analyst, says that since the massive influence of Top Deck KO Pierre more than a decade ago, the strike rate has been consistently good with bulls like Lornlace VHA Dumpling S3F, Maire Oman Franklin, Middlevale Mint Brave, Maire Mint Richie, and Rivendell Gforce Axel more recently. “Over the last year we’ve received very positive feedback (type and production) from farmers milking Richie, Brave, and Franklin daughters.” Another benefit of the Holstein Friesian Genetic Leaders programme is breeder members’ pedigrees holding pedigree status in the commercial world, increasing their relevance dramatically. “Whereas commercial bulls that have been supplementary registered have heavily dominated the market, […]

Leading scientist honoured for a career of outstanding contribution

Plant & Food Research Scientist Dr Jim Walker has been awarded the New Zealand Apple and Pear industry’s Outstanding Contribution Award. Dr Walker was presented the highly sought after accolade at the industry’s conference in Napier recently. New Zealand Apple and Pear board member, Peter Beaven, presented Dr Walker with the award and noted his long service and significant impact. Mr Beaven said Dr Walker was the brains behind the Integrated Fruit Production (IFP) programme introduced in the 1990s. IFP was a world first, and a huge departure from the then current practice around the world. “With IFP, growers started monitoring the numbers of harmful insects on orchards through pheromone trapping and introduced the use of targeted selective sprays when required. The IFP system was introduced across the entire industry in a remarkably short time due in no small measure to this man’s efforts. Today we take such systems for granted,” Mr Beaven said. Dr Walker was also instrumental in the next generation of orchard management – the Apple Futures programme, which further reduced residue levels on fruit and enabled the industry to tailor production systems of blocks within orchards to meet the phytosanitary and residue requirements for specific markets. “However, I rate Jim’s most significant contribution to our industry as making science easy to understand for non-scientists. The best science is useless if growers cannot understand it or know how to apply it in a commercial setting. Jim has always had the knack of explaining things in ways we laypeople can readily grasp”. Dr Walker was honoured to be the award recipient and said he is not yet ready to retire. “I have been really proud to serve this industry which I have been involved in one way or another since 1972. “I’ve worked in the industry for almost […]

Guaranteeing herd improvement with the best of the best

Holstein Friesian New Zealand and CRV Ambreed are proud to announce the latest tool to increase the standard of black and white genetics in New Zealand – Holstein Friesian Genetic Leaders Superior Female Programme. Launched today, this programme will identify superior registered Holstein Friesian females throughout the country who are set to produce superior male progeny to be offered to the already-successful Holstein Friesian Genetic Leaders Male Programme. HFNZ members will have the opportunity to nominate animals for the programme and with two rounds to pass before being selected, the HFNZ CRV Sire Proving Committee is looking for the best of the best. “This joint contract mating scheme between HFNZ and CRV Ambreed is to ensure the best genetics within New Zealand’s own pedigree Holstein Friesian population are bred on and made available to the dairy industry,” says HFNZ General Manager Cherilyn Watson. “The only way we can guarantee herd improvement to Holstein Friesian breeders is to make sure those superior genes can be easily accessed,” she says. “Any breeders nominating animals have the opportunity to receive numerous benefits, both at preliminary selection and full programme stages.” Aaron Parker, CRV Ambreed Breeding Manager says the Holstein Friesian Genetic Leaders Superior Female Programme has been developed to feed the highly-successful Holstein Friesian Genetic Leaders Male Programme. “Using CRV’s world-renowned genomic selection capabilities to identify those elite females bred by Holstein Friesian New Zealand members, we’ll be able to carry the breed into the future,” says Aaron Parker, CRV Ambreed Breeding Manager. “Identification of new cow families and bloodlines is our ultimate goal,” says Parker. “Over our 23-year partnership, the Holstein Friesian Genetic Leaders Programme has combined the passion, knowledge and experience of pedigree Holstein Friesian breeders with the expertise and resources of CRV Ambreed to bring some of the best Holstein […]

Irish dairy flows to New Zealand agritech

-Seaver Izatt / Business Development Manager / NZTE Europe Two themes that have had more than their fair share of negative press in the last few years – Europe and dairy. But here’s a good news story for a change, and the protagonist is the Emerald Isle itself, Ireland. Ireland is in the middle of a dairy boom. Two and a half years into a five-year industry plan, it is set to smash its ambitious targets set for 2020. When EU quotas were lifted in 2015, Ireland stated that it was going to increase milk output by 50 percent in five years. It is on track to deliver this result in just three. Whilst the Irish government is responsible for managing the delivery of this strategy, it is clear that the success lies in a cross-industry joined-up approach. And this was made blatantly clear on 19-21 September during the annual ritual of Ireland’s agricultural community, the National Ploughing Championships. Central government agencies, local government bodies, industry associations and farmers across Ireland were actively engaging with one another. Issues appear to be well-communicated top-down and bottom-up, shaping policy and farm behaviours. What does all this mean for New Zealand? Despite churning out huge dairy volume increases, Ireland still faces challenges – some of which New Zealand can help it overcome. There are a few caveats: New Zealand companies won’t play a major role in some localised issues – such as how to navigate the exit of Ireland’s largest customer, Britain, from the single market union of the EU; how to diversify product sales into new emerging markets; and how to create a “fair” policy to ensure more money is transferred back to the farmer rather than retained in high retailer margins. But New Zealand companies are well-placed to help Ireland with […]

Bay of Plenty woman wins Young Grower of the Year

The future of our $5.6 billion horticultural industry is in excellent hands as shown by the talent of this year’s Young Grower of the Year: Erin Atkinson of Te Puke. Erin Atkinson, 30, technical advisor for Apata Group in Te Puke, was named Young Grower at an awards event in Christchurch tonight after a long day pitting her skills, knowledge and experience against four other finalists. She is the first woman to win the title, which is in its 11th year. Erin, who won the Bay of Plenty section back in February, also secured the national title of Young Fruit Grower tonight along with the best business, best innovation and best speech titles. Runner-up for Young Grower was Scott Wilcox of Pukekohe, who is also Young Vegetable Grower 2017, while third place went to Ben Geaney of Waimate. Erin has a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and has spent most of her working life in the horticulture industry. She said she was extremely proud to have been named Young Grower, especially as the standard of the other finalists was very high. “It was an extremely challenging competition but I’ve really enjoyed meeting the other finalists and am looking forward to taking the award back to Te Puke.” The Young Grower of the Year competition is run by Horticulture New Zealand and sponsored by the Horticentre Trust. During the competition, all five finalists competed in a series of practical and theoretical challenges designed to test the skills needed to run a successful export-focused horticultural business. They also took part in a leadership panel discussion before delivering a speech on biosecurity in front of the judges at the awards dinner attended by 200 people. Judges looked for individuals who could make a difference in their sectors and the industry, going beyond great […]

Artificial Intelligence to help wine profits flow

Artificial Intelligence has been making waves in many industries and is increasingly affecting life as we know it. Now the New Zealand wine sector is getting in on the act, with Lincoln Agritech Ltd developing a computerised system to make early-season predictions on the grape yield a vineyard is likely to harvest. “Grape growers and wineries spend a lot of money trying to predict their grape yield each year,” says Lincoln Agritech Optics and Image Processing Team Leader Jaco Fourie. “This currently involves hiring a large number of workers to manually sample grape bunches.” Lincoln Agritech is working on creating a more convenient system that uses electronic sensors to accurately count grapes. “The sensors will capture and analyse grape bunches within individual rows, and assess the number, sizes and distribution of grape bunches,” says Dr Fourie. “We’ll then feed this data into computer algorithms, which have been designed by the University of Canterbury, to predict grape yield at harvest time.” New data will be added to the system each year, leading to continuous improvements in the model’s accuracy, with the system’s predictive power improving over time as more data is gathered under different conditions. Dr Fourie says profitable wine production depends on early knowledge of the grape yield that is likely to be harvested each season. “Estimating the yield as soon as possible allows marketers to know how much wine will end up being produced.” The main focus of grape varieties for the study is Sauvignon Blanc, after which the team will identify how much technology development will be needed for Pinot Noir. The project is funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and NZ Winegrowers. Collaborating partners include Plant and Food Research, Lincoln University, the University of Canterbury, CSIRO (Adelaide), NZ Winegrowers and local winegrowers in […]

Fonterra announces increase to farmer shareholders payouts

Fonterra has today announced a significant increase in total payout for its farmer shareholders and a solid overall operating and financial performance, as part of its 2017 Annual Results. The Co-operative has confirmed a final Cash Payout of $6.52 for the 2016/2017 season for a 100% share-backed farmer. This is made up of a Farmgate Milk Price of $6.12 per kgMS and a dividend of 40 cents per share. Revenue increased by 12% to $19.2 billion, with rising prices offsetting a 3% decline in volumes at 22.9 billion LME. Normalised EBIT of $1.2 billion was down 15% as a result of reduced margins across the business which also influenced net profit after tax, down 11% at $745 million. Chairman John Wilson said the Co-operative’s ability to maintain its forecast dividend despite the Milk Price increasing by 57% over the year and the impact of negative stream returns was an excellent result. “We will always need to manage variability across our Co-operative – both in global markets and in our local farming conditions. We’ve demonstrated our ability to deal with those conditions and deliver on our strategy again this year,” said Mr Wilson. “Over recent seasons, our farmers have made significant personal sacrifices to reduce costs through a sustained low milk price period. “As part of our continued business transformation, the Co-operative has also made a fundamental shift in the way it operates, continuing the strong focus on increased efficiency and developing new revenue streams. “Despite lower milk volumes due to poor weather in parts of the season, the business delivered a good result by prioritising higher value Advanced Ingredients and growing our sales of these in-demand and specialised products by 473 million LME this year.” Our Consumer and Foodservice business continues its strong performance. This year we sold more than […]

«‹ 50 51 52 53 ›»

News Ticker

Developments