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A Levin vegetable grower says demand for Asian greens has increased by nearly 400 per cent in the last couple of years.
Woodhaven Gardens has grown some Asian greens for about 20 years but ramped up plantings four years ago after seeing growing demand in the market.
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Covid situation
Northland, Auckland and parts of Waikato are at Alert Level 3, and the rest of New Zealand remains at Alert Level 2.
Please keep an eye on covid19.govt.nz for updates. Please also keep an eye on the HortNZ website’s Covid page: www.hortnz.co.nz/covid19/.
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Young Grower national final next week!
The Young Grower of the Year national final is on next week. Both the competition day on Wednesday 20 October and gala dinner on Thursday 21 October will be held at the Lower Hutt Events Centre.
All are welcome to attend the competition day, which runs from 9.30am to 2.30pm. Spectators are required to scan in, wear a mask and observe social distancing measures.
The finalists will navigate their way through seven modules:
- Using Excel to Help Compliance, sponsored by Radfords
- Innovation, sponsored by South Pacific Seeds
- Nutrition and Fertigation, sponsored by Horticentre
- Tetris Packaging Challenge, sponsored by Jenkins Freshpac
- Pests & Diseases, sponsored by Fruitfed
- Moving Safely, sponsored by WorkSafe
- Trouble Shooting Common Equipment, sponsored by Farmlands
Heather Feetham, who won the 2021 Pukekohe Young Grower competition, will not be able to compete this year due to Auckland being at Alert Level 3. Heather will compete in the 2022 final instead.
The six competing finalists are: Jonathan Bates from Nelson, Jordan Carrol from Central Otago, Mellissa van den Heuval from Bay of Plenty (won in 2020 but the rest of the competition could not go ahead due to lockdown), Regan Judd from Hawkes Bay, Jamie McIntyre from Gisborne and Bryce Morrison from Bay of Plenty (2021).
Gala dinner
Due to continued social distancing requirements, we need to restrict numbers at the gala dinner on the evening of Thursday 21 October. As a result, we have stopped ticket sales and have been in touch with ticket holders about numbers.
If you have not been contacted, your tickets remain, however, if you can no longer attend, please let Amy Miller know immediately. If you have any questions, please also contact Amy.
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Working holiday and seasonal visa extensions
Immigration New Zealand is extending Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) work visas by six months. Work visas due to expire between 21 December 2021 and 30 June 2022 will automatically be extended by Immigration NZ for an additional six months from the date they expire - visa holders won’t need to apply for a new visa.
Visa holders will also continue to have open work rights, allowing them to work in any sector to help meet labour market demands where they exist.
Immigration New Zealand will be contacting all visa holders eligible for the Working Holiday or SSE visa extension by the end of November.
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HortNZ Board Future Director 2022
HortNZ is seeking a Future Director to serve and gain experience on its Board. The year-long appointment commencing in January 2022 would allow the successful appointee to gain experience in governance, leadership and strategy.
This position will suit an applicant who has active involvement in a horticultural enterprise giving an understanding of the issues and challenges that horticulture and growers face. This is a great development opportunity for a future leader with a genuine interest in governance. The Future Director will have the opportunity to be mentored by an industry leader and receive governance training. In making the selection, HortNZ’s diversity policy will be taken into account.
The job description can be found here. If you are interested in this role, please send your CV and a cover letter to Kerry Norman at kerry.norman@hortnz.co.nz. Applications will close at 5.00pm, Thursday 4 November 2021, with the successful candidate undergoing induction in January 2022 and attending their first board meeting around February 2022.
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EPA reassessing Hi-Cane
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is reassessing the use of hydrogen cyanamide (Hi-Cane) in New Zealand and has released its recommendations.
The report is part of the reassessment process and gives the opportunity for public consultation. It is not the final outcome. The EPA’s recommendations include:
1. Hi-Cane being banned and phased out over a five-year period
2. Tighter controls taking immediate effect (that is, during the phase-out period). These include:
- Introduction of buffer zones
- Update of hazard classifications
- Restrict application rate to 25ai/ha
- Update to labelling and packaging
NZKGI is providing an overview of the recommendations and updates on this topic through the NZKGI Weekly Update and NZKGI website, here.
Public consultation is now open until 5.00pm on 26 November 2021. NZKGI will be consulting with kiwifruit growers and will be making a submission. Information on how to make a submission is available on the NZKGI website, here.
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HortNZ submission on Freshwater Farm Plans
HortNZ submitted on behalf of growers on the Freshwater Farm Plan (FWFP) Regulations – Discussion Document. The discussion document proposes the requirements, certification processes and implementation options for growers to create a FWFP. Read more about what FWFPs are below.
The HortNZ submission asks that the regulations enable recognition of the GAP assurance framework as a way for growers to create an audited and certified FWFP. GAP standards can be modified to meet new freshwater requirements, but the GAP assurance framework cannot be modified. We seek that the FWFP system should provide a pathway for industry programmes (such as the NZGAP Environment Management System (EMS)) to be approved, to enable growers to meet FWFP requirements.
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What are Freshwater Farm Plans?
Freshwater Farm Plans (FWFPs) are being introduced by the Government as a way for farmers and growers to manage the impact their farm or orchard activities have on freshwater quality. They were introduced into the Resource Management Act (RMA) in 2020, but the details of the rules and requirements are still being worked out.
Once regulations are in place, horticultural operations larger than five hectares, and farms (arable, pastoral or mixed use) larger than 20 hectares will need to have Freshwater Farm Plans.
FWFPs are essentially a new name for Farm Environment Plans. Both types of farm plan require growers to map their property, identify environmental risks (such as erosion) and assess how they will mitigate those risks.
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NZGAP submission on Freshwater Farm Plans
The NZGAP submission supports the HortNZ submission to enable growers to develop and implement Freshwater Farm Plans using the industry assurance programmes.
However, the proposed framework and assurance processes are not well aligned with GAP. As a result, NZGAP has proposed an alternative pathway, which recognises the existing GAP framework and standards like the Environment Management System (EMS) add-on which is already being adopted by growers across New Zealand.
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Supermarket study conference details
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, the Commerce Commission will be holding an online virtual consultation conference about the supermarket study. The virtual conference will take place between 21 October and 2 November 2021, with sessions to be held between 9.30am and 12.30pm each day.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP by 3.00pm, Friday 15 October to marketstudies@comcom.govt.nz, with the following details:
- Your name and email address
- Which session(s) you will be attending
- Which session(s) you would like to have a speaking role for.
Only those who have RSVP’d will receive information on how to join each session. If you have any questions, please contact marketstudies@comcom.govt.nz
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MPI compiling info on food exporters to China
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is compiling lists of New Zealand processing premises whose products are exported to China following a specific request from China Customs (GACC). The lists need to be submitted by MPI to GACC before the end of October 2021.
MPI is seeking expressions of interest from operators in being included on this list. Specifically, operators who are the final processor of specific products (listed here in Section 3.1 of the FYI update) for export to China, and where the export date occurred between 1 January 2017 and the present day.
If you have any questions, please email MPI at market.access@mpi.govt.nz.
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Delay to Country of Origin of Food requirements
The Government has agreed to delay the Country of Origin of Food regulations by three months, to 12 February 2022. The regulations for fresh and thawed regulated food items, and for frozen regulated food, will come into effect on 12 May 2023.
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has also noted that its guidance will be delayed, but it will continue to update its webpage with information.
If there is anything of concern to you or your business that is not addressed on MBIE’s webpage, please contact them at coo.food.labelling@comcom.govt.nz.
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Invitation to Te Pūkenga employer briefing
Te Pūkenga is the new organisation that will bring the 16 polytechnics and industry training organisations together into one new national network from January 2023.
Employers are being asked for feedback via online workshops to help Te Pūkenga develop its operating model.
To book a place for one of the workshops, please register below.
Monday 18 October: 4.00 - 5.15pm
Tuesday 19 October: 12.00 - 1.15pm
Tuesday 19 October: 4.00 - 5.15pm
Thursday 21 October: 12.00 - 1.15pm
Thursday 21 October: 4.00 - 5.15pm
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PVGA scholarship deadline extended
Applications for the Pukekohe Vegetable Growers’ Association (PVGA) scholarship fund have been extended to 15 November due to the impact of Covid.
Click here for information and eligibility criteria. If you have queries, please get in touch with the Scholarship Coordinator, Grant Ryan, on 021 550 289 or email secretary@pvga.org.nz.
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MG Marketing Charitable Trust funding applications due 22 October 2021
The MG Marketing Charitable Trust (MG Trust) has been established to contribute towards the general improvement, capability and profile of the horticulture industry in New Zealand.
Applications for the next funding round are due on 22 October 2021. To apply for funding, visit the MG Trust webpage.
You can also email mgtrust@mgmarketing.co.nz if you have any questions about the MG Trust or the application process.
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