Fruit and Vegetables

Solutions sought for saving summer fruit

In the picture: Senior tutor Roger McLenaghen in action at the workshop. Photo David Hollander. Combating pests and diseases of tree-based crops and summer fruits was the target of the latest MG Marketing ‘Growing You’ workshop held recently at Lincoln. MG Marketing, a co-operative organisation that has over 90 year of successful record of growing, distributing and selling a comprehensive range of fresh vegetables and fruit, in collaboration with Lincoln University, the Biological Husbandry Unit (BHU) and the Bio-protection Research Centre (BPRC) developed workshops for growers and commercial operators from all around New Zealand to advance their scientific knowledge and practical skills. About 20 of MG Marketing’s top growers from diverse operations such as cherries, feijoa, raspberry, citrus, and tree-based fruits, from across New Zealand travelled to Lincoln for the workshop. The main guest speakers were Dr Charles Merfield and Professor Steve Wratten, while senior tutor in the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences Roger McLenaghen assisted in practical demonstrations at the workshop. “These interactions allows us to work directly together with businesses, growers and organisations, which helps us to apply and extend the reach of our work to the globe, in particular in areas such as biocontrol of pests and pathogens, biosecurity and invasion” Lincoln University Business Development Manager Dr Samuel Yu says.

Seeka to buy Australia’s Bunbartha Fruit Packers for A$m22

Seeka Kiwifruit Industries, the country’s biggest kiwifruit grower, has agree dot buy Australia’s Bunbartha Fruit Packers for A$22 million, making it the biggest kiwifruit grower on both sides of the Tasman. The deal is expected to be completed on Aug. 20, subject to regulatory approvals including Foreign Investment Review Board sign-off. Seeka has set up an Australian-based subsidiary to acquire the business, it said in a statement. The purchase will be funded through debt facilities and includes a deferred payment element, while sellers Jamie Craig and John Karl will continue to be involved in the Australian business. Bunbartha generates annual revenue of $17 million, and is expected to lift Seeka’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation by between $3.2 million and $4 million. Seeka will acquire 505 hectares of land in Shepparton, Victoria, and all prime water shares linked to the properties. “The fruit produced and marketed by BFP (Bunbartha Fruit Packers) broadens and complements Seeka’s existing offering of kiwifruit, avocadoes and kiwiberries,” chief executive Michael Franks said. “We expect to add further value through the synergies that both businesses can deliver to each other from internal optimisation and market expansion.” In June, Seeka reported a better-than-expected harvest for the 2015 season, which would likely be positive for earnings, but crimp tray returns from global marketer Zespri International due to the bigger crop. Seeka said it will continue to look for acquisition opportunities, and is reviewing its mix of assets to ensure they fit with the company’s strategy. “Our current focus is on the integration of BFP into the Seeka group and putting management, compliance, safety and reporting systems in place,” Franks said. The shares were unchanged at $3.15 and have declined 2.5 percent this year. The announcement was made just before trading closed.

Expert’s visit fruition of relationship cultivation

In the picture: BPRC Director Professor Travis Glare with Dr Meng Zhang. Feijoas and Kiwifruit have been on the menu as Lincoln hosted a plant specialist recently to initiate closer working ties around food production with a Chinese province of 90 million people. Feijoa expert Dr Meng Zhang, of Southwest University of Science and Technology (SWUST) in Sichuan Province, spent a month with Lincoln University and the Bio-Protection Research Centre (BPRC) at Lincoln specifically to learn more about New Zealand horticulture production systems, biological protection and bio-control. The visit comes a few months after SWUST’s President, Jun-bo Wang, and Director Guan-zhi Zhang, were in Lincoln as part of a large Sichuan trade delegation intended to further extend co-operation between the two institute. Dr Zhang has setup new collaborations with BPRC Director, Professor Travis Glare, and Senior Scientist, Dr Robert Hill through the hosting. Lincoln University Business Development Manager, Dr Samuel Yu, says Sichuan province has a population of 90 million, with fertile grounds and a good climate for growing agricultural produce. “The province has over 10,000 hectares of land growing red centred Kiwifruit and production has been sensitive to PSA attack and pollination,” Dr Yu says. “Bioprotection techniques could assist farmers that struggle to control PSA, and the Bio-Protection Research Centre has a lot of expertise in this space.” This visit is part of the 2015 China-New Zealand Scientist Exchange Program funded by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and employment. SWUST have a good relationship with Lincoln which started over 10 years ago through now retired Lincoln lecturer Michael Morley-Bunker. Dr Zhang also met with a range of Lincoln’s staff, such as the international recruitment team’s Patrick Yeung and Anna Soboleva to explore Study Abroad opportunities and Lincoln Agritech […]

Young fruit grower from Cromwell wins first Central Otago Young Fruit Grower of the Year competition

A young fruit grower from Cromwell has secured first place at the inaugural Central Otago Young Fruit Grower of the Year 2015 competition on Wednesday 27 May. James Huffadine, who works as a site manager for Parkburn Management, battled it out against five other young fruit growers from Cromwell, Roxburgh and Alexandra for the title. “Competing against five other growers, who are at the top of their game, was tough. The tests were challenging and diverse and really put our skills to the test,” says James. James (23) won a $1,500 cash prize, and as a Young Grower of the Year finalist, he has also won a one-day media and presentation course, as well as an all-expenses paid trip to Christchurch to compete for the national 2015 Young Grower of the Year title in August. “It’s been a real privilege to win the first Central Otago Young Fruit Grower competition and I’m looking forward to stepping up to compete with the other finalists in the national competition in August,” says James. The competition put contestants through a range of challenges designed to test their core skills of running a fruit growing business. These included identifying biosecurity pests and diseases, tractor skills and irrigation. Grant McKay, competition co-ordinator, said the competition was a great opportunity for young growers in the Central Otago region to demonstrate their skills and knowledge of the industry. “We’re excited to bring the competition to the region and to showcase and help foster the talent we have here. I’m impressed with the contestants and the energy and time they’ve put in preparing for the competition. All of them should be proud of their performances today,” said Mr McKay. Jack Gilchrist from Willowbrook in Roxburgh took second place and won $1,000 cash, and Jonathan Bates from CAJ Van der […]

Young fruit growers to battle for regional title

Nine top young fruit growers will vie for the title of best grower in the region at this year’s Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower competition. Competitors will be put to the test in a rigorous two day event on 5-6 June at Hawke’s Bay A&P Showgrounds in Hastings, which involves theoretical and practical activities, a speech and quiz. The winner will go head-to-head with four other contestants for the acclaimed Young Grower of the Year 2015 title at the national competition, run by Horticulture New Zealand, in Christchurch on 12-13 August. “This year we have an outstanding field of contestants. As with every year, the competition will be tough here in the Hawke’s Bay. But this is our chance to show the rest of the country that we have some of the best young fruit growers in New Zealand,” says Robyn Stallard, co-ordinator of the competition. “It gets tougher each year for the competitors because the standard is so high. But we have taken out the national prize before and this year we are optimistic about reclaiming our title,” she said. The competition puts contestants through a range of key tests with various challenges from finance and marketing exercises, designed around the fundamental skills needed to running a successful fruit-growing business. The nine competitors come from around the Hawke’s Bay region: • Andrew Kearney (26), Senior Leading Hand at T&G Pipfruit • Anthony Taueki (25), Horticulturalist at Mr Apple • Balwinder Singh (28), Senior Leading Hand at T&G Pipfruit • Dale Simpson (21), General orchard maintenance at Johnny Appleseed Group of Companies • Dillon Green (24), Assistant Manager at T&G Pipfruit • Hayden Dyer (21), Export Dispatch Officer at Mr Apple • Jordan James (24), Orchard Hand at Mr Apple • Lewis Houkamau (29), Orchard Manager at Freshmay Orchards • […]

Berries from China refuels Country of Origin labelling debate

By Stephanie Melbourne New phone scanning technologies could add a new angle to Country of Origin labelling, which traditionally in New Zealand has been a voluntary practice for the food industry to use as a marketing tool, even though it is required in Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. A recent labelling issue in Australia regarding frozen berries imported from China has further fuelled the ongoing debate surrounding Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL) highlighting its relevancy and the value of knowing exactly where the food we eat comes from. The Australian CoOL standard which commenced in 2006 requires mandatory country of origin labelling on all packaged foods, fish, pork and fresh whole or cut fruit and vegetables. They also have guidelines for the use of the terms “Product of Australia” and “Made in Australia”. Since then, there has been a raft of public reviews, and legislative and regulatory attempts to clarify the laws relating to CoOL in Australia. Last month a brand of frozen mixed berries imported from Chile and China was recalled by the Food Standards Authority of Australia and New Zealand after links were found to a Hepatitis A outbreak in Australia. In this case, the packaging contained the words “Packaged in Australia” in large print and “Made from local and imported ingredients”, although the large majority of the berries were imported. This has prompted calls from the Australian government to take yet another look at its CoOL requirements under the Food Standards Codes. Typically, product labels contain statements like “made in” and “product of”. But what does “Made in [country] from mostly local ingredients” mean? Does more than 50% of the product need to be from the specified country of origin? It is these statements which generate the most confusion amongst shoppers. Here in New Zealand […]

Horticultural production tops $7 billion

Horticultural production has topped $7 billion for the first time, with good growth in nearly all the main industries, including wine, apples, potatoes, and onions. The latest edition of the industry publication Fresh Facts shows in the year to June 30 2014 the horticultural industry was calculated to reach $7.16 billion in production, up from $6.7 billion the year before. Exports rose by $300 million to $3.9 billion, an increase of nearly 7 percent on the previous year. Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Peter Silcock said New Zealand’s horticultural exports equated to more than three times the comparative return achieved by dairy merchandise exports because of the high productivity of horticultural land. Horticulture exports of $3.9 billion are produced off 1123,000 hectares of land, versus dairy exports of $16.9 billion from 1.7 million hectares. Silcock is confident the sector will achieve its target of $10 billion of production by 2020. The top export destination is Australia, which hit $872 million compared to $791 million in 2013, while the US has increased its intake from $415 million in 2013 to $489 million this year. Two of the top 10 export destinations decreased this year, with the Netherlands falling from $141 million in 2013 to $108 million this year and Spain down by $4 million to $70 million. Wine continues to be the biggest horticultural export at $1.3 billion in 2014 compared to $1.2 billion in 2013. Sauvignon blanc remains the dominant variety produced, at 310,240 tonnes of the 445,000 tonne total. The total wine grape tonnage was up 29 percent on the previous year, partly due to the average yield increasing from 9.8 tonnes per hectare to 12.6 t/ha. Kiwifruit is the largest fresh fruit export at $930 million, although that is down $65 million on 2010 figures, following the Psa virus crisis. […]

Young Vegetable Growers compete to be New Zealand’s best

New Zealand’s best young vegetable growers will be pushing their barrow to be crowned the winner of the annual New Zealand Young Vegetable Grower Competition. Competitors will battle it out on Thursday 16 April in a series of theoretical and practical challenges, with the champion progressing to compete for the national Young Grower of the Year title, hosted by Horticulture New Zealand, on 12-13 August in Christchurch. “The NZ Young Vegetable Grower competition showcases and celebrates our industry’s top young talent each year. It’s exciting to see our young industry leaders in action, putting their knowledge and skills to the test,” said Kiran Hari, co-ordinator of the 2015 competition. “Each year our contestants continue to lift the standard and we expect that this year will be no different.” The competition puts contestants through a range of key tests with various challenges from finance and marketing exercises to agri-chemical knowledge and fertilisers and soils. The tests are designed around the fundamental skills needed to running a successful vegetable growing business. The five competitors come from around New Zealand: • Auckland: Herman Fourie (29), Turners and Growers Ltd; Lance Pratt (29), A S Wilcox & Sons; Hamish Gates (24), A S Wilcox & Sons • Tuakau: Arjune Dahya (22), Daya Veg Ltd • Canterbury: Michael Anderson (29), Scott Fresh Ltd These contestants are the future of our industry, and the competition provides a good measure of how well we support young up and coming vegetable growers. We wish all competitors the best of luck and look forward to seeing them in action,” said Mr Hari. The NZ Young Vegetable Grower of the Year Competition be held on Thursday 16 April from 9am at the Indian Centre, 57 Ward Street, Pukekohe. Spectators are welcome. Tickets for the evening Speech Contest and Awards dinner […]

Hawke’s Bay economy gets major blast from new food facility

The global success of Rockit™ apples has led to a $17 million investment into land development and a state-of-the-art food packaging facility in Havelock North. Minister for Economic Development, Hon. Steven Joyce officially opened the multi-million dollar food facility today (Wednesday). Havelock North Fruit Company managing director Phil Alison said world-wide consumer demand, which is up 700 percent from 2013, has proved a fruit such as an apple can be marketed as “a premium snack food and compete against sugar-coated confectionary.”

Lincoln student in frontline of battle against stink bug

In the wake of the Queensland fruit fly threat Lincoln University PhD student Laura Nixon is working hard to develop a weapon in the fight to stop another unwanted destructive pest, the brown marmorated stink bug, coming into the country. The bug is currently regarded by New Zealand’s horticulture industry as one of the top six pests of concern. Ms Nixon’s research is funded by multiorganisational research collaboration Better Border Security (B3), and she is based at the Bio-Protection Research Centre on Lincoln’s Te Waihora campus. She is trying to come up with a way to chemically detect an infestation of the bugs in a confined space such as a shipping container, one of the ways it is envisaged the insect could make its way into the country. The brown marmorated stink bug is an agricultural pest found in Asia, but it has invaded the United States and it is considered highly likely it could successfully establish in New Zealand if it gets here. Since the insect arrived in the United States in the mid-1990s it has occasionally multiplied into plague proportions. In 2010 it caused US$37 million damage to apple crops across several states. It feeds on more than 300 hosts, primarily fruit trees and woody ornamentals but also field crops. Almost any crop can be at risk. Ms Nixon says the chemical compound, or the stink, the bugs emit when disturbed has been identified but she will work on trying to distinguish it from amongst other naturally emitted odours. Initially she will work with native stink bugs, which are not considered pests, and then travel to the United States to see if her results can be used on the pest species. She says the bugs are closely related so it is expected they will. Ms Nixon says the […]

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