Avocado
Growers
Many new plantings of avocados have occurred over the last three years
in an effort to meet the demand of international produce markets. Mid
August was an early start to the harvest season picking for export to
America and Japan and harvest for Australia is expected to start
mid-October.
Field visits were held in July 2004 on Te Puna orchards, one at Clarke
Road and at Oliver/Wairoa Road. Growers from the Bay of Plenty, Auckland
and north and from New Plymouth met to discuss research which could help
growers increase their fruit production to combat the reduction in crop
over recent years.
Understanding of the affect of climate, irrigation, nutrition and
pollination is vital when 76% of New Zealand’s avocado growers are based
in the Bay of Plenty and produce a similar percentage of the crop.
Kiwifruit
August, a new season well underway and winter pruning nearly completed.
Growers with both Hort 16A and Hayward crops have little break between the
seasons. The May harvest was 10% up on estimate helped by the late Autumn
rains. It was a challenging period for packhouses – picking started behind
schedule with a very wet start from May onwards, there were increased
requirements for packaging and the labor shortage was not helped by either
the weather or the Immigration service.
Eurepgap information pack will be sent to growers by Zespri end of
August to ensure all growers and contractors meet the compliance standard
audit.
Women celebrated their role in the kiwifruit industry with lunch at
Mills Reef, Tauranga in July, a tribute to their endeavor and the 100
years since Isabel Fraser, principal of Wanganui girls college brought the
first Chinese gooseberry seeds from Ichang in China. so began the
evolution of the New Zealand kiwifruit industry.
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