I’ve rewritten this piece a few times and it always seems trite considering what significant parts of the industry have been through and continue to deal with. So, lets keep this short and to the point.
From the Summerfruit perspective what has changed and what do we know?
Despite all this there could be more fruit on the NZ market than there was last season, because of the low fruit set last season and trees responding with a full bloom this spring. Big fruit set then a big fruit drop and hand thinning bills is a possible scenario.
There were a couple of lessons learned from a localized flooding event in Central Otago three seasons ago where trees were in standing water for up to three days:
Spring is not so far away with early flowering apricots due in August. This is when we will begin to know what next season holds. To paraphrase John Wilton, ‘the best fertilizer for the orchard is the footsteps of the manager’. Observing the blocks regularly, with a consultant, or rep or fellow grower will, in my opinion, be hugely valuable. Make some notes.
What say we have a few small gatherings and share experiences of a difficult season, Cyclone recovery and blooms on trees in spring. My shout.
Richard Mills
Summerfruit Technical Advisor
021 632559
Here’s my contribution, with February’s monthly rainfall compared to normal and Bridge Pa’s soil moisture levels attached.
Ex-tropical cyclone Gabrielle broke rainfall records as an individual event and was the crescendo to a pattern of weather that continues to break records. February’s rainfall was higher than previously recorded at almost all our rain gauge sites, so too summer rainfall. That’s not surprising when January’s rainfall was 400% above normal and February’s rainfall was about 500% above normal. There were a few spots, such as Glengarry, where the month’s rainfall was 900% above normal. It’s all part of a run of at least 7 months of wetter than usual weather.
February’s river flows exceeded normal flows for the time year by more than 1000%. Groundwater levels were at record highs for the month and our soil moisture sites were saturated. February’s soil temperature was below average and ended the month on 19⁰C on the Plains. Air temperatures were colder than usual during the day and warmer than usual during the night, which is to be expected when the skies are blanketed with cloud.
It seems the La Niña is over – we have gone into neutral conditions. I feel like shouting it from the rooftops because it’s given us such a hard road. The effects may linger a little longer but seasonal forecast models look more varied in their predictions. Some models suggest drier than normal conditions over the next three months and others normal rainfall or wetter than usual. We’ll settle for near normal rainfall. Sea level pressure is predicted to be lower to the northeast of New Zealand and higher to the south so our winds could have a southerly component to them, though temperatures are still expected to be relatively warm compared to normal.
There is the prospect of an El Niño developing later in the year and the region facing weather completely opposite to what we’ve endured for months on end.
Percentage of Normal Rainfall
Dr Kathleen Kozyniak
Principal Scientist Air
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council
It’s been a month since Cyclone Gabrielle made her way down the East Coast & affected many livelihoods in the Hawke’s Bay region. We have been head-down in disaster recovery mode for the last 4 weeks, prioritising the clean up blocks that can be salvaged, clearing access into properties, and prioritising the removal of silt where it is likely to impact tree health.
As we get used to our new normal, our attention is starting to shift. We need to be prioritising the removal of fruit from trees that can’t be commercially harvested. The sooner we relieve the pressure on the already highly stressed root systems, the sooner we can optimise the rate of photosynthesis to drive vegetative and root health. This will enhance post-harvest bud quality for the sake of next season’s crop (both yields and quality). Replenishing the trees reserves should be carried out as soon as practicable, and for many of our non-harvestable crops, now is the time we should be prioritising post-harvest care.
Protecting the trees from disease pressure, such as phytophthora should also be a key focus. NZAPI will be releasing some guidelines on best practice Phytophthora management in the next few days.
The sooner phytophthora preventative management is taken, the more effective the results. We won’t know the true impacts the flooding will have on phytophthora pressures until next season, so it’s essential we do all we can now to protect our flood affected canopies.
NZAPI have been working hard with the Industry to help give clarity in these challenging times, producing decision matrices and information bulletins to help growers make the best-informed decisions for their blocks including:
• Flood soil assessment
• Silt Decision Tree
• Orchard Survey
These resources can all be found on the NZAPI website: http://www.applesandpears.nz/Floods/Technical_and_Crop_Advice
The impact of Cyclone Gabrielle is immeasurable and has disproportionately impacted the horticultural community. Large numbers of people have experienced trauma, lost their homes, their jobs and their livelihoods. This is a lifechanging event for many.
The Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Charitable Trust has set up a fund to provide assistance to those in need. All contributions will be used to address immediate wellbeing needs and to provide longer term pastoral care to assist in getting people back on their feet.
Donations can be made via our Givalittle page
Or directly to the Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers Association Charitable Trust.
Account no. 02 0644 0280677 00
Please email manager@hbfa.co.nz for more information or to request a receipt.
In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle there is obviously a mountain of work required to restore the productive capacity of impacted orchards. The elephant in the room is how this will be funded.
We have had an initial announcement from government around a $25m fund to kick-start efforts to remove silt and support the clean-up. This fund provides for a pay out of up-to $2K/Ha to a maximum of $40K. This is a modest but positive start and I recommend all of those impacted to apply if you haven’t already. It’s a very quick process and we are hearing in many cases that funds are arriving the next day. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions around the application process.
As you can appreciate, everyone is scrambling to assist the recovery, and this includes government. This is leading to some ambiguity in messaging, and we’ve received several queries about why the current fund is capped at $40K/grower. While not formally announced, MPI staff have verbally advised us that if you have more than 20 hectares impacted, you should include this in the application – there are no guarantees that you will receive the full amount but there is potential for larger pay-outs.
As an Association, we are feeding into numerous channels to lobby for you and these efforts will be ongoing. We appreciate the serious financial implications for many, and will be doing all we can to add weight to the conversations our product groups and HortNZ are having with government on your behalf. A key message from us is the time-critical nature of what is required – we need decision makers to realise that big decisions need to be made quickly.
Writing this message has been a challenge – where do I even start?
The enormity of what we’ve been through and continue to endure is hard to put into words. In some ways me not knowing where to start reflects what we are experiencing on our orchards, properties, and homes. As we move from response to recovery, the enormity of the task ahead can make it hard to know where to begin.
I couldn’t get out to my orchards for 4 days and what I encountered was worse than I had envisioned. It took the next 3 days of going back and forth until I got my head around everything. One of my blocks has been flattened, the river also went through my orchard across the road but for the most part it is still standing. Last Monday we made the call to do everything we could to save the trees – this is a mammoth task as the silt is between 300 – 400mm deep on every square inch of my 5ha block. Will I save the trees? Will the orchard bloom again in October? I don’t know, but I need to give it my best shot.
There are growers and members of our association who have been hit extremely hard. A number have completely lost their orchards and their homes – our friends in the Dartmoor Valley, Esk Valley, Puketapu, Pakowhai, Twyford and Korokipo regions have experienced damage beyond belief. I am absolutely gutted for all of those impacted – my heart and genuine prayers go out to you and your families.
I am encouraged how people are pulling together, helping others where and when they can. This is community and this is the spirit of our growers. For me personally dealing with my loss has had its ups and downs – there has been lots of tears and hugs with my wife and others in the community. I fell emotion welling up now as I write this. The other day a grower just grabbed me and said “come here” and gave me a hug – this was powerful and I imagine helps us in our own healing and coming to terms with what has happened.
To help in this process we as an Association have engaged Wanda Douglas to provide free and confidential psychological support to our members and their families. Wanda is a Registered Psychologist with the NZ Psychologists’ Board. She is based locally in Taradale. HBFA will fund the first three one-hour sessions for impacted growers and/or their direct family members. If anyone feels like they need to talk with someone about anything please do not hesitate in calling Wanda on her personal mobile which is 021 1700 506. The Rural Support Trust is another way to reach out, they can be contacted on 0800 787 254.
Harvest must go on and 70% of our industry are out there picking, packing, and getting their fruit ready for market which is hugely important for us and our region. I know we are all cheering you on to pick and pack the best fruit HB can offer to the world.
I have had lots of media engagements where I have shared the plight our growers are facing but also letting them know our industry is resilient and the harvest is going on.
Finally, I’d just like reiterate the importance of community in getting through this event. I encourage you to keep communicating with your neighbours, your friends, and the wider horticultural community. This is an area that we will be focusing on over the coming weeks and months. If you have contacts or colleagues who are not members of the Association, please encourage them to reach out so we can include them in our communications and events. We will be waiving membership fees for the year ahead so there will be no cost to join.
Take care and please don’t be afraid to reach out directly if you have anything you’d like to get know or just someone to talk too.
Brydon Nisbet
HBFA President
Given the events of the last few weeks all I want to say in this RMA update is that there are any planning/regulatory issues you think I may be able to assist with – perhaps things that might assist with clean-up and recovery, please do get in touch on 027 3225595, or via email Charlotte.Drury@hortnz.co.nz – navigating red tape is something that I can definitely help with.
Also, anyone that has a regional council consent that expires on 31 May 2023 and haven’t yet lodged your replacement, please get in touch with me ASAP – I have spoken with the regional council and they do still want applications in on or as close to 28 February (next Tuesday) as possible – they don’t have to be top quality, but they do need to be lodged. Again I can help with this – please get in touch.
Otherwise, please take care
Charlotte Drury, 027 3225595, Charlotte.Drury@hortnz.co.nz
I normally use this space to describe the previous month’s weather and the outlook. The recent brutality of ex-Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle made me reconsider and even made me forget what January was like. But having looked back, I think January is worth briefly mentioning before looking at the extraordinary event that was Gabrielle.
January was the region’s sixth consecutive month of above normal rainfall. The region had approximately 400% of January’s long term average however it was closer to 500% on the Heretaunga Plains, in the Kaweka Range and Tangoio and Esk areas. From Tangoio southwards, January 2023 was the highest recorded January total at all but a handful of our rainfall sites. River flows had a similar percentage increase above average, most of our groundwater sites hit new record January levels and soil moisture levels across the region were at field capacity or saturated.
We were soaked and then came Gabrielle. February immediately became our seventh consecutive month of above normal rainfall. Tangoio and Esk swiftly exceeded 450% of average February rainfall, with one site hitting 700%. It’s where we recorded 500 mm of rain, approximately half a year’s worth, in 24 hours and half of that was in 6 hours. We have gauges dotted across the region that recorded 400-500 mm during the event – from north of Mahia to the hills along the south coast and across to the western ranges. At least half of our sites recorded their highest 6 to 24 hour totals. Those that existed during Bola in 1988 experienced higher intensity rainfall during Gabrielle. More than half of our river level sites recorded new highs.
We expect the very windy conditions meant our gauges didn’t capture the full extent of the rain and they likely missed some localised heavy falls. We’ve had reports of 700-800 mm in places. So we have put out a call for people to share their rainfall totals with us along with the location. We’ve set up an email, storm@hbrc.govt.nz, for that purpose and we’d welcome you to use that.
Despite the La Niña weakening, it’s influence lingers and makes the outlook for the next few months bleak. We still expect an easterly flow to be a key feature, bringing the likelihood of above normal rainfall and warmer than usual overnight temperatures if not during the day. Potential remains for an El Niño to develop later in the year however after so many months of wet weather, any risk of drier than normal weather down the track seems hard to take in.
Percentage of Normal Rainfall
Dr Kathleen Kozyniak
Principal Scientist Air
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council
The Council has identified a number of waste types and these will need to be dealt with in different ways.
The aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle has resulted in large volumes of waste. In most instances residential waste will be dealt with by your local council, and you should check their websites for advice and guidance. If you have waste on a lifestyle block, farm or orchard, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) will be able to help you remove the larger volumes. The Councill has identified a number of waste types and these will need to be dealt with in different ways. Please try to keep these waste types separate so that we can minimize the amounts of mixed-waste that end up in our already overloaded waste sites.
The types of waste covered in this advisory are: Animal (livestock) carcass retrieval and disposal, Silt, Wood debris, Posts and wire. Advice on disposing of hazardous materials, contaminated silt and chemical waste will be provided later
1) Livestock carcass removal
If already on a farm, farmers may be able to bury their own dead stock as per normal conditions. Large scale events should be reported to HBRC so that in these instances the dead stock can be removed from the property, particularly if located over an unconfined aquifer or within a source protection zone. If disposing of stock on a property, please consider the following before burying:
If deceased stock are not on a farm, or there are too many on the property for the landowner to deal with, please phone HBRC on 06 835 9200 or 0800 108 838. HBRC will coordinate collection and appropriate disposal.
2) Silt removal
Many areas have been inundated with silt from the flood waters and there are concerns regarding the level of contamination of the silt. Residential silt removal will be co-ordinated through your local council. Please check their website for guidance and details. If you have waste on a lifestyle block, farm or orchard, the Regional Council will be able to help you remove larger volumes. These landowners are asked to remove the silt from around vines or trees and move it to a location on their own property with suitable access for trucks. The landowners can then contact the regional council on 06 835 9200 or 0800 108 838 who will coordinate with a contractor for the removal of the silt.
The silt will be rapid-tested when collected to measure any levels of contamination and to ensure contaminated and non-contaminated silt is kept separate. Silt that is not contaminated or has a low level of contamination will be repurposed..
3) Wood waste
Wood waste has washed up on beaches, river sides, roadsides, public areas and private properties after the cyclone. The Regional Council will remove debris and chip it from public places, starting with the immediate area around the Heretaunga Plains and then progressing further afield from there. The Council strongly recommends against burning this waste as it will be contaminated and burning the waste risks spreading any contamination. If you have wood waste on a lifestyle block, farm or orchard, the Regional Council will be able to help you remove larger volumes. Landowners are asked to move the wood waste to a location on their property with suitable access for trucks. The landowners can then contact the regional council on 06 835 9200 or 0800 108 838 who will coordinate with a contractor for the removal of the wood waste.
4) Posts and Wire
The cyclone has caused many vineyard, and orchard posts and wire to be ripped out of the ground, and these are now scattered across properties, neighboring land and roadsides.
PLEASE NOTE – Tanilized posts and wire that make up this waste cannot be disposed of through burning. Burning of this waste will release toxic chemicals into the wider environment.
Where landowners have large quantities of posts & wires from fences, viticulture and horticulture operations, these can be collected by HBRC and held in a secure site for further work. HBRC will arrange collection and suitable remedial work to separate wire, for wire recycling and returning of usable posts to farmers. Landowners can contact the regional council on 06 835 9200 or 0800 108 838 to coordinate the removal of posts & wire fences.
Please find the following link to a fact sheet released by MPI – Recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawke’s Bay
2023 Recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawke’s Bay FS (002)
