Cyclone-hit wool scourer reopens
The world's largest wool scouring facility, WoolWorks Awatoto plant in Napier, is back operating at full capacity.
Sixty five percent of NZ's apple crop is grown in Hawke's Bay and 4,000 hectares - or about half the total crop grown in the region - has been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.
NZ Apples and Pears market access manager Danielle Adsett told Hort News, while her organisation is not involved in the marketing of apples, it's been assured by exporters that the expected lower crop is being carefully managed.
NZ apples are sold to almost 70 countries around the world - with China being our largest market. However, only 13% of NZ's total crops is sold there. Vietnam has, in a matter of years, risen from 13th to become our 3rd largest market.
Adsett says Asia is obviously a focus for NZ as the middle class in those countries grows. Taiwan and Japan are also up-and-coming markets.
"The fact is that NZ produces the best apples in the world because of our growing systems and climate," she told Hort News. "As such, we are able to offer a premium product."
Adsett says, in sustainability terms, NZ has already done an awful lot but hasn't really told the story about our low carbon footprint and our quality orchard management practices. She says, on a per hectare basis, the NZ apple sector is highly productive compared with others.
She adds the other big change is the image of the sector and how it's portrayed.
"Many people perceive it to be a manual labour industry with a focus on picking and pruning trees. But this is so far from the truth," says Adsett.
"The job has definitely changed and we have seen that in the orchards and the packhouses. We have stories about some of our members bringing in people from the job seeker benefit into their packhouse who are now running their multi-million dollar technology."
She says the industry has absolutely changed and is all about technology and exciting innovation, with great jobs on offer.
Adsett concedes that while many people are trying to be optimistic about the future, the reality for many is heartbreaking.
"Trees remain covered in silt; the ground is wet and people are doing their best to support each other in very difficult times."
China’s Ambassador Wang Xiaolong says bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand has made significant and rapid progress.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.