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Hon Damien O'Connor speaking at the 2021 horticulture conference at Mystery Creek.
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Regional events replace this year’s Horticulture Conference
The HortNZ Board has decided to not hold a Horticulture Conference in 2022.
‘We made this difficult decision in light of the ongoing risk and uncertainty of bringing more than 700 people together and because this season has been an unprecedently tough one for growers,’ says HortNZ President, Barry O’Neil.
‘Because there will not be a conference, HortNZ will put extra effort into getting into regions to meet up with growers this year.
‘We will also be expanding the scope of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) conference to be held on 28-29 July 2022 in the Hawkes Bay. The theme of this conference will be Voices from the Pacific.
‘This theme is particularly relevant given the impact of Covid on the Pacific as well as in New Zealand, and the fact that the New Zealand RSE scheme has always been about supporting the Pacific as well as the horticulture and wine-grapes industries in New Zealand.’
‘HortNZ will also have a presence at the Vegetable New Zealand events planned in Pukekohe and Canterbury in late July / early August.’
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Summary of key dates:
RSE conference: 28-29 July 2022 in Hawke's Bay
HortNZ AGM: 10am on 2 August 2022 at HortNZ in Wellington and via Zoom
Young Grower of the Year national final: 21-22 September 2022 in Nelson. More info here.
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HortNZ in the media
Government regs take their toll on hort growers Rural News
Barry O'Neil told Rural News the pressure that growers are facing is on many fronts, including a plethora of new government regulations. He says 2022 will be the hardest year the sector has experienced for many and the heat is on growers because of this.
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Final week to register for Agrecovery’s May drum collection
Agrecovery is running a large drum collection across the whole country in May. To have your drums included in the May collection they must be booked in before this Saturday 30 April.
Bookings can be placed through the Agrecovery website or by calling our 0800 number. Your booking will be confirmed via email.
Please note, you must have a minimum of 4 drums (61-210L) or 1 IBC (500-1000L) to be eligible for an on-property collection. Only drums/IBCs from participating brand owners are free to recycle. Look for the Agrecovery logo on the drum or check out a list of participating brands here.
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Consultation on Restricted Entry Intervals
WorkSafe is consulting on Restricted Entry Intervals (REIs). An REI is the minimum amount of time that must pass between an agrichemical being applied to an area or crop and the time that people can go into that area, without protective clothing and equipment.
WorkSafe is proposing to increase the REIs for a range of commonly used insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. The REIs would apply to on- as well as off-label use. WorkSafe has indicated that, during the restricted entry interval, the appropriate personal protective equipment will depend on the crop and what type of activities are carried out by the person entering the area. Click here to read the consultation documents.
HortNZ (supported by product groups) will be making a submission. Please contact your product group for more information or for assistance with lodging your own submission.
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Register now for covered crop grower workshops – Pukekohe and online
TomatoesNZ and Vegetables NZ are running their annual growers’ workshop for the covered crop industry on Wednesday 18 May. This event will be run both in person in Pukekohe and also online, with topics covering:
- Virus management
- Mitigating pests and disease in seeds
- DIY tools for reducing energy use
- National Party’s policy regarding energy and help for the horticulture industry
- Improving pest control
- FTEK demo of their ‘Robotic Labour Assist Platform’ (in–person only)
If you wish to attend, please RSVP by Monday 2 May by completing the short form below. More information about the event and the link for online attendees will be provided to those who RSVP.
If you have any questions, email TomatoesNZ business manager, Dinah Cohen, at Dinah.Cohen@hortnz.co.nz
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A Lighter Touch agroecology webinar series
A Lighter Touch (ALT), the pan-industry project to reduce agrichemical use, is running a series of webinars about enhancing agroecosystems. Dr Charles Merfield (“Merf”), head of the BHU Future Farming Centre at Lincoln University, will be presenting the concepts of agroecology with examples of crop protection and the different forms of biological control with a focus on conservation biocontrol.
The three 45 minute webinars will cover:
- Tuesday 17 May 11am – Introduction and explainer of agroecology
- Tuesday 14 June 11am – Introduction and explainer of biocontrol
- Wednesday 13 July 11am – How ALT have applied this agroecosystem enhancement and biocontrol theory in the Gisborne citrus project.
No registration is necessary – the link to each webinar can be found below. Each webinar will be uploaded to the ALT website after the presentation date.
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Horizons Regional Council consultation on freshwater
Horizons Regional Council is seeking community input on long-term visions for freshwater. Long-term visions are required by the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPSFM) 2020 and will set the direction for the freshwater management framework that will sit beneath.
Engagement is open until 5pm on Tuesday 24 May 2022.
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Freshwater Farm Plans from a grower’s perspective
As the government works on the direction of the national Freshwater Farm Plan regulations, Pierre Gargiulo has been working through his plan to show how the EMS add-on to GAP can do the job.
Read the article
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Stepping on the scales
Jamiee Burns, the operations director of JR’s Orchards, likens working out their annual agricultural greenhouse gas emissions number to stepping on the scales.
Read the article
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What NZ vegetable growers' cost pressures mean for Kiwi consumers
Jay Clarke, director of Woodhaven Gardens, told the AM Show that growers are facing unprecedented cost pressures just to keep the industry alive.
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Dinner tickets available for Pukekohe and Hawkes Bay Young Grower awards
The Pukekohe Young Grower and Hawkes Bay Young Fruit Grower competitions are fast approaching. Support the young growers and your community by attending an award dinner in your region.
Pukekohe Young Grower awards dinner - Friday 20 May at the PIA Event Centre.
If you are interested in attending, please email pukekoheyounggrower@gmail.com for tickets.
Hawkes Bay Young Fruit Grower - Friday 27 May at Toitoi Arts and Events Centre, Hastings.
The competition, run by HBFA, will be held on 26 May at the Tomoana Showgrounds with the Awards Dinner being held the following night.
Click here to book tickets. For any queries, please contact 021564665 or email yfoty@hbfa.co.nz
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Entries open for Central Otago Young Grower
Click here to download the entry form. Email completed entry forms to Mariette.Morkel@horticentre.co.nz by 4pm, Wednesday 1 June.
The competition will be held at the Central Otago Campus, Horticulture Training Facility in Cromwell. The awards dinner will be at The Moorings, Cromwell.
Later competition dates:
Nelson – 8 July
Gisborne – 14 July
Bay of Plenty – 20 July
National final, Nelson – 21-22 September
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PickNZ: seasonal vacancy job board
The PickNZ job board is a free site for employers to list seasonal roles such as harvest, packhouse or thinning work.
PickNZ is the go-to site for listing seasonal horticultural roles, and is being backed by industry and government to help fill seasonal vacancies.
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Keeping vigilant for Fall Armyworm
Everyone has an important part to play in protecting New Zealand’s horticulture industry from unwanted pests and diseases.
Last month, a Fall Armyworm egg mass was found in Tauranga. Early detection of invasive pests like Fall Armyworm is crucial to limiting the impact on fruit and vegetable crops.
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Growers are asked to stay vigilant and become familiar with what to look for – click here for a fact sheet.
If you see anything unusual, call MPI’s biosecurity hotline on 0800 80 99 66 or use the online reporting portal: report.mpi.govt.nz/pest/
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