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HB apple exporters partner up to open the region’s largest single rooms coolstore

In the picture: Bostock New Zealand owner John Bostock (left) and Mr Apple CEO Andrew Van Workum. Two of Hawke’s Bay’s biggest apple exporters have teamed up to store apples, today opening the regions largest single rooms coolstore. Bostock New Zealand and Mr Apple have officially opened their new 8600m2 coolstore near Flaxmere, which has the capacity to store 30,000 bins. Bostock New Zealand Owner, John Bostock says it’s very exciting to be opening a state of the art facility, which has the technology and innovation to provide customers with full traceability from the Hawke’s Bay orchards to consumers across the world. “The apple industry is growing to meet international demand and every day we are working to ensure we have cutting edge technology to deliver premium apples to our customers. “We are also happy to be offering more permanent and seasonal jobs, with 9 staff needed to run the new facility,” Mr Bostock said. The new coolstore has a unique, advanced scanning system, which ensures each bin is identified and each apple can be traced back to the orchard where it was grown. This is the first stage of a two-stage development, which will see another coolstore built with a further capacity to store another 13,000 bins. “It’s taken months of planning and project management and we take our hats off to Gordon Kinnear and his team for the wonderful job they’ve done to ensure the coolstore was completed in a short timeframe and in time for the busy apple harvest,” said Mr Bostock. Mr Apple CEO, Andrew Van Workum says it’s positive to be working in partnership with Bostock New Zealand to ensure Hawke’s Bay apples are stored and delivered in top quality. “Both companies, and the NZ industry in general are establishing very strong sales and linkages into […]

Helping young Maori succeed in NZ’s dairy industry

To get ahead in the dairy industry Tangaroa Walker knows the key is to seize every opportunity and find ways to stand out. It’s advice he was given early on in his career – and it’s a message he’s now passing on to other aspiring young farmers. At just 26 years of age, Tangaroa is a well-respected future leader, having won the inaugural Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award and the Southland Primary ITO Trainee of the Year in 2012. Entries for this year’s Ahuwhenua competition close at the end of February and Tangaroa has agreed to mentor Genesis Raroa – a fellow Southlander who wants to move into farm management. Primary ITO has facilitated the mentoring arrangement and Tangaroa says he’s looking forward to passing on his knowledge and lending Genesis moral support. “Winning that competition fast-tracked my career by three years at least. It’s opened up a lot of opportunities for me and I’m looking forward to helping someone else through the process so they can achieve their own goals.” Tangaroa, who began milking cows at age 13, strongly believes the dairy industry needs more Maori leaders. “My advice to any Ahuwhenua entrant is that it’s our responsibility, as Maori, to take the opportunities that are out there. We need to be in a position where we can run our own farms and be good role models in business. “I think the key to being successful in the dairy industry is to focus on the goals ahead. It can be a struggle moving from a farm hand, to 2IC, then into farm management. It’s tough. You do a lot of work for not much money. But if you have the goal of becoming a contract milker or sharemilker and keep focussed on that, you will get there.” Tangaroa was […]

First Stake in the Ground to Keep Hastings GM Free

A group of Hawke’s Bay food producers have launched a campaign to keep Hastings GMO Free as the Hastings Council prepares to go head to head with Federated Farmers and the Government. Pure Hawke’s Bay has put its first stake in the ground, putting up billboards around the region to raise awareness and gain support in the fight to keep Hastings GMO Free. Pure Hawke’s Bay President, and sheep and beef farmer Bruno Chambers says having a GMO Free region creates more economic and marketing opportunities. “It means as Hastings producers we can tell buyers and customers that produce grown in our fields is officially GMO Free. If we can’t claim this, we loose our competitive global advantage. We need to tell the GM Free story and officially show the world that we grow produce naturally. “It adds more value to our exports and creates significant economic benefits for Hawke’s Bay.” Last year, backed by leading Hawke’s Bay food producers, Hastings District Council became the first in New Zealand to secure the territory’s GM Free food producer status under the local plan. While this initiative enjoys overall support from producers and the wider community, Federated Farmers is challenging the Hastings decision in the Environment Court. As well as this, the councils move is also threatened by proposed changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA), which would see the government take away councils powers to establish GM Free Zones. “Hawke’s Bay food producers and the Hastings Council are best placed to know what is right for our local economy. We shouldn’t have this democratic right taken away. We need the government to work alongside us to keep Hastings GMO Free and help position Hawke’s Bay as a premium food-producing region in the competitive global market place.” Mr Chambers along with over […]

Labour Shortage Big Concern for Hawke’s Bay Apple Growers

A labour shortage across Hawke’s Bay is causing major concerns for Bostock New Zealand Apple Orchard Managers. The Hawke’s Bay grower and New Zealand’s largest exporter of organic apples, held its annual open day this morning to attract workers to ensure they can get the apples off their trees in time. Bostock New Zealand Orchard Operations Manager, Craig Treneman says they currently need over 200 people and are desperate to find labour. “We work with WINZ, we advertise and the open day is all part of our attempts to attract workers before the apple harvest starts in just a few weeks. “The key for us is getting New Zealanders into full time employment rather than just seasonal jobs and we are helping up-skill our seasonal staff to give them more opportunity. We are challenged by a labour shortage and there are just not enough Kiwi’s available to meet the peak season demand.” Bostock New Zealand also provides transport for any New Zealanders keen to work in its orchards. “We are keen to work with people to ensure they have no barriers to employment. Drivers licenses are one of the biggest challenges, so we will do everything we can to help get people to work.” About 60 people, including locals and tourists signed up to work for Bostock New Zealand at the open day. “We were hoping to attract more people as we have plenty of work, both seasonal and permanent jobs. This was the lowest turnout rate we have seen at an open day for five years,” said Mr Treneman. Flaxmere woman Te Aroha Toa Toa was quick to sign up with Bostock New Zealand, excited by the employment opportunity. “I have been unemployed for some time, so the orchard work gives me the opportunity to get into some seasonal […]

Improved agricultural water management could halve the global food gap by 2050

…and buffer some of the harmful climate change effects on crop yields. For the first time, scientists investigated systematically the worldwide potential to produce more food with the same amount of water by optimising rain use and irrigation. They found the potential has previously been underestimated. Investing in crop water management could substantially reduce hunger while at the same time making up for population growth. However, putting the findings into practice would require specific local solutions, which remains a challenge. “Smart water use can boost agricultural production – we’ve in fact been surprised to see such sizeable effects at the global level,” says lead-author Jonas Jägermeyr from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “In a water management scenario the scientists call ambitious, global kilocalorie production could rise by 40 percent, while according to UN estimates roughly 80 percent would be needed to eradicate hunger by the middle of this century. But even in less ambitious scenarios, results show that integrated crop water management could make a crucial contribution to filling the plates of the poor, says Jägermeyr. “It turns out that crop water management is a largely underrated approach to reduce undernourishment and increase climate resilience of smallholders.” Large yield increase potential in China, Mexico, Australia The scientists have run comprehensive biophysical computer simulations, constraining these in such a way that croplands do not expand into forests and no additional water resources are needed. As it is a global study, it provides detailed vegetation dynamics and water use effects in river basins – certainly too coarse to simulate farm-level conditions but suited to identify regional hotspots. For example, the yield increase potential of crop water management is found to be particularly large in water-scarce regions such as in China, Australia, the western US, Mexico, and South Africa. “Assessing the […]

Sustainable Foods Summit Calls for Greater Disruption

JEZ Media www.nzfoodmanufacturer.co.nz publisher@xtra.co.nz London -The food industry needs more disruption for sustainable development: this was one of the key messages from the North American edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit (www.sustainablefoodssummit.com/namerica). Hosted in San Francisco on January 20-22, the summit brought together 140 senior executives from the food industry. Josh Tetrick, CEO and Founder of Hampton Creek, emphasised the importance of disruption in his opening keynote. He believes 99% of the food Americans eat is of poor quality, and that a ‘system change, not people change’ is required. His company is exploring 400,000 plant species to develop new food products. Tetrick shared his plans to launch new healthy and tasty products with environmental benefits, following the success of Just Mayo and Just Cookies. With a proteins crisis looming over the food industry, Daniel Imrie-Situnayake made the case for edible insects. According to the co-founder of Tiny Farms, there has been a flurry of investment in insect farms in the US in recent years. He believes the market for insect proteins could reach US $1.2 billion with the success of a few products. Although the sustainability credentials are well documented, consumer acceptance remains a major barrier. Nikhil Arora of Back to The Roots is also causing disruption in the food industry with a new range of organic breakfast cereals. The packs of its ready-to-eat cereals contain recipes so consumers can make their own. Rather than cannibalizing its product sales, Arora believes the company is creating a stronger bond by connecting its customers to the food they eat. Back to The Roots started with ready-to-grow organic mushrooms, and is planning to disrupt more food categories by “undoing food” and getting its customers back to basics. Other speakers highlighted the importance of innovative ingredients. Isaac Berzin, Founder and Chief Technology Officer […]

Kiwifruit industry to benefit from new strategic alliance

New corporate shareholders for Opotiki Packing and Coolstorage Limited (OPAC) provide the company with a strategic advantage in the growing Eastern Bay of Plenty kiwifruit industry. Te Tumu Paeroa – the new Māori Trustee, and Quayside Holdings Limited (Quayside) – the investment arm of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, will each own 10.1% of OPAC following agreement at a shareholders meeting yesterday. The investment by each is part of an OPAC over-subscribed equity capital raising which totalled $4.85 million. The combined resources of Te Tumu Paeroa, Quayside, and OPAC will work well together to encourage economic development in the region and create opportunities for landowners and their whānau. Te Tumu Paeroa Chief Executive Jamie Tuuta said his organisation provided trustee services to owners of about 5,000 hectares of land in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, including several blocks with successful kiwifruit orchards. “We want to convert other land into high value and high performing kiwifruit ventures. Being part of the wider supply chain provides better opportunities to support that,” Mr Tuuta said. “We value the expertise that OPAC has in orchard development and management and are interested in working with them to provide further opportunities for land development in the region and for young people to be part of this industry,” he said. Quayside Chief Executive Scott Hamilton said the investment in OPAC provides both positive long-term commercial returns as well as strong regional benefits. “The Regional Growth Study Economic Action Plan identifies horticulture, particularly kiwifruit, as a significant growth opportunity for the Eastern Bay of Plenty. We believe that tangible benefits in this regard can be achieved through working collaboratively with both iwi and industry through our investment in OPAC” he said. Approximately 80% of kiwifruit produced in New Zealand comes from the Bay of Plenty. Zespri forecasts […]

Research helps to curb unwanted pesticide spray drift

Chemical drift from pesticide sprays is an ongoing problem in New Zealand, says Lincoln Agritech crop protection scientist Rory Roten. “When pesticides are used on farms and in forests, the wind can carry droplets of the sprays far away from the targeted area, potentially causing severe damage to neighbouring crops and harming the environment,” Mr Roten says. “Spray drift has wreaked havoc on wine grapes and kiwifruit in several New Zealand orchards recently, causing several hundred thousand dollars worth of damage.” “Agrichemicals can cause severe damage to natural ecosystems as well, especially when they land in surface waters, as most aquatic species are very sensitive to these chemicals.” Other experts have also pointed out that spray drift exposes people and animals to harmful substances from pesticides. In an effort to address the issue, Lincoln Agritech’s Chemical Application, Research and Training group (CART) has conducted a six-year Government-funded research programme to find out more about pesticide spray drift movements and how to mitigate them. The project, funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), involved a range of tasks, including measuring pesticide drift on typical New Zealand crops, as well as analysing the effectiveness of drift-reducing technologies and training people in how to use them. Project Co-ordinator Dr Scott Post says the Lincoln Agritech group worked with a number of experts over the course of the project. “We were lucky to co-ordinate such a high-quality research team,” he says. “We worked with scientists from SCION to model spray drift, with specialists from Plant Protection Chemistry in Rotorua to research how sprayed droplets land on leaves, and with scientists from the University of Otago to find out how pesticide vapour can drift from the applied area.” The team worked in various primary idustries such as forestry, horticulture and arable, dealing […]

Efficiency and survival traits key to once-a-day herds

Once-a-day (OAD) dairy farming systems have been around for many years and have understandably increased in popularity in the last few years. The upshot of this has been an increase in demand for AB companies to undertake breeding programmes producing bulls with genetics tailored for OAD systems. CRV Ambreed’s genetic strategist Phil Beatson says this is nothing new to CRV Ambreed and the company has continued to market bulls with the attributes most suited to OAD farming. However, he says the specific requirements of the “OAD cow” and “OAD herd” are perhaps less understood. “It seems widely accepted that cows milked in OAD systems produce about 10% less milk solids per lactation than they would in traditional twice-a-day (TAD) regimes. On the other hand, they maintain better body condition and have better in-calf rates; they have fewer veterinary interventions; and less labour is required for the OAD system,” he says. “Compared to TAD cows, OAD cows are less likely to be culled as empty, but are more likely to be culled for high somatics or collapsed udders. Under OAD, high component – low volume cows tend to dry off earlier than desired. “The fact that OAD cows produce 10% less per lactation than under TAD farming in itself creates a problem which is likely to increase as environmental considerations receive more focus: without going into detail, the OAD cow producing 10% less per lactation is producing more methane per kilo of milk solids than her TAD contemporary.” But it’s not all bad for OAD. Beatson believes this is where the whole farm system needs to be considered. While the OAD cow might be lower producing, she is also likely to stay in the herd longer than the TAD cow, providing her udder and somatics are desirable. “The OAD herd with […]

COP21 highlights need for sustainable proteins

London – The world climate summit (COP21) has been generally hailed as a success, with countries making commitments to reduce greenhouse gases. However, questions remain on how the food industry will meet the challenges. The food industry is unique in that it is a cause and victim of climate change. It generates a quarter of all greenhouse gases, with over half from livestock production. Emissions from livestock farming are on par with those from energy and transport. Population growth and dietary changes have led to a substantial rise in meat and dairy consumption over the last two decades. Agriculture, or food production, is also adversely affected by climate change. Rising global temperatures are creating erratic weather conditions, poor harvests and fluctuating yields. Food insecurity is increasing in many parts of the world. Loss of agricultural land is leading to deforestation, further exacerbating climate change. Recognising the importance of agriculture, a number of initiatives were introduced at the Lima-Paris Action Agenda at COP21. The initiatives focus on four core areas: soils, food losses & waste, sustainable production methods, as well as livestock farming. The Live Beef Carbon initiative plans to reduce carbon emissions from beef production by 15% over 10 years in some European countries. Although a positive step, the initiative focuses on improved livestock rearing methods, and not consumption. As will be shown at the Sustainable Foods Summit (www.sustainablefoodssummit.com), the food industry needs to address consumption habits – as well as production methods – if it is to substantially reduce greenhouse emissions. Meat consumption is rising in developing countries as consumers become more affluent. The FAO predicts meat consumption to double by 2050 when the global population is projected to reach 9 billion. A shift towards sustainable proteins is deemed necessary if the food industry is to lower its environmental […]

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