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Biosecurity, Innovation, and an Important Date for Hawke’s Bay Growers
Biosecurity is something summerfruit growers deal with every day. It’s not theoretical. The health of our orchards, the productivity of our land, and the long‑term confidence we have in our growing systems all depend on keeping pests and diseases out of New Zealand.
While export markets often attract attention, strong biosecurity is just as critical for growers supplying the domestic market. An incursion doesn’t distinguish between fruit grown for local consumers or offshore customers. The consequences are felt across regions, across crops, and across businesses.
At the same time, the future resilience of the summerfruit industry depends on innovation. New plant material and improved genetics are essential for lifting fruit quality, improving disease resistance, and adapting to changing growing conditions. It is important to recognise that the summerfruit sector no longer has active breeding programmes operating within New Zealand. As a result, the industry now relies almost exclusively on imported germplasm to fuel innovation and improvement.
That reliance makes getting the balance right absolutely critical. Import health standards exist to manage biosecurity risk while still enabling access to new plant material where it can be done safely. From a grower perspective, those standards need to be science‑based, proportionate, and workable in practice. If importing new genetics becomes overly complex, slow, or costly without delivering meaningful improvements in biosecurity outcomes, innovation slows – and growers ultimately bear that cost.
This is why Summerfruit New Zealand continues to engage closely with Biosecurity New Zealand on how plant import systems can evolve over time. The focus is on ensuring biosecurity settings are aligned with real risk, recognise effective offshore controls, and avoid unnecessary duplication – while still maintaining strong protection at the border. The goal is not to weaken biosecurity, but to ensure the system remains effective, efficient, and fit for purpose.
Join Us at Black Barn – 21 May
These themes – biosecurity, innovation, and the future of our industry – will be front and centre at our upcoming mid‑year summerfruit grower event on 21 May at Black Barn.
Prior to the dinner, we will be joined by Dr Mark O’Connell, who will share insights into what is currently happening in the Australian summerfruit industry. Australia faces many of the same challenges as New Zealand, from biosecurity pressures to varietal change and market dynamics, and there are bound to be useful learnings for Hawke’s Bay growers.
The evening is an opportunity to step back after the season, reconnect with fellow growers, hear a different perspective from across the Tasman, and continue important conversations about how we protect what we grow while positioning the industry well for the future.
I encourage Hawke’s Bay summerfruit growers to secure their tickets early and join us at Black Barn on 21 May. We look forward to catching up with many of you there.

 

 

 

February 2026
As summer came to an end, February kept the region in the continued run of wetter than average conditions seen so
far this year. By the month’s end, regional rainfall totals sat at 124% of the long term average, with Southern Hawke’s
Bay (161%), Northern Hawke’s Bay (144%), and Waikaremoana (140%) all recording well above normal rainfall totals.
River flows across most sites followed this pattern, with some northern and southern catchments registering
particularly high flows. Soil moisture levels also remained above median levels across the region, reflecting the
sustained wet conditions of the past two months. Groundwater levels across the region were assessed as “Normal” for
February, with both the Ruataniwha Plains and Heretaunga Plains recording marked improvement and continuing their
upward trajectory.
Temperatures were near normal across the region, with maximum temperatures sitting 0.3°C above normal and
minimum temperatures 0.41°C above normal. The wet conditions also influenced recreational water quality, with
several sites—particularly central locations—exceeding guideline thresholds throughout the month. Despite this, many
coastal beaches maintained good conditions even with the unsettled weather. Air quality remained excellent
throughout February, with no PM₁₀ exceedances recorded in any of the airsheds.
Nithin Bala Murali
Climate Scientisthttp://Click Here

To read the full environment report see below

Monthly Environmental Report February 2026
_________________

As we know, every season comes with its own specific factors that influence you as growers, and 2026 looks to be no different.

This season in HB started off relatively dry, sunny and warm, with not a lot of frosts or hail. While the wind challenged bees trying to pollinate, and growers trying to spray in spring, generally, it was a smooth start.

Weather windows for chemical thinning were available; trees were generally happy with active shoot growth. Spring had significantly less rainfall than normal and late November soil moisture levels saw the need for irrigation systems to be fired back into life. Sunny warm conditions had very high ET values for October, November and the first half of December.

Mid to late December saw changes to the dry, with rainfall events topping up the soil and putting the irrigation need back on hold. This has continued into the later part of the growing season with ongoing rain events creating little to no need for irrigation for the last few months. Growers that are on the edges of the rivers have seen multiple high flow events top up their soil moisture, despite some of these events not being connected to localised rainfall on the Heretaunga Plains.

The variation in received rainfall across the Heretaunga Plains during events in the 2026 growing season has been vast. Additionally, since the beginning of January there have been 27 days with a maximum temp above 25 degrees making it easy to feel that irrigation applications should be justified. Soil moisture management therefore needs to be assessed using specific data on each block of trees.

What does this all mean for the fruit in the 2026 harvest?

· The good chemical thinning and shoot growth conditions have increased tree vigour. This increases risk for apple leaf curling midge, powdery mildew and Calcium disorders in fruit.

· Carbohydrate has at times been partitioned to excess shoot growth instead of all for fruit growth, this could have a negative impact on fruit size.

· The season length is shorter than 2025 and this would likely give a smaller size than 2025.

· However, in 2026 where fruit has been thinned early and to good fruit numbers this should give a good average size.

· Sunlight and heat levels have been good, however sunburn levels are up in some blocks, especially where summer pruning has overlapped to a following high heat event.

· Fruit colouring conditions have been about normal close to harvest. Where crop loads are excessive or canopy light levels are low, there have still been colour development issues.

· Go date Brix has been a struggle in some varieties, often coupled with low fruit pressures. This is exaggerated in blocks where soil moisture has remained high for the late part of the season, caused either naturally by increased ground water conditions or by over irrigation.

· Fruit quality in 2026 looks to be a mixed bag, highly influenced by the specific seasonal situations of each of the individual blocks.

I believe 2026 season will be remembered as the year that looked good on paper but did not always deliver the final results, block specific factors are having a big bearing on the final fruit quality.

We need to identify what happened this year to each block and then understand what these results might mean for next years crop.

Jonathan Brookes AgFirst HB Ltd

Kia ora

Greetings to all our members and supporters of HBFA

The year has started off in full swing, summer has given us some excellent fine days and so I imagine everyone has had an enjoyable break.

Picking is well underway with Royal Gala strains, Rockit, Piqa®Boo pears to name a few. Early indications show good pressures and SPI’s although as we know these measures can drop very fast especially with the hotter days. Colour development has also been slower due to the heat. This last week has seen a drop in temperature at night which will be great for increased stronger colour.

The 2026 Industry Awards: A Night of Excellence

Early February HBFA in conjunction with EIT and PITO held our 2026 Industry Awards, a highlight of the HBFA calendar. Coming together at the start of the year serves as a vital reminder of the calibre of people we have in our region.

· NZ Diploma in Horticulture Production, Level 5, Fruit Production: 2 graduates

· NZ Diploma in Horticulture Production, Level 5, Post Harvest: 1 graduate.

· NZ Certificate in Horticulture, Level 4, Fruit Production: 17 graduates

· NZ Certificate in Horticulture Production – Level 4 Post Harvest: 1 graduate

The Fred Horrocks Memorial Award is awarded to the topmost outstanding graduates at level 4 – this year’s recipients were Kevin Kooijman from EIT and Laurie-Ann Newton from ITO.

Scholarships

The Hawkes Bay Fruitgrowers Charitable Trust in conjunction with the Horticentre Charitable Trust, provides scholarships to our local students. This year we gave out 19 scholarships to our years 1, 2 and 3 – studying fruit production. We awarded 8 diploma scholarships in fruit production and post-harvest.

There were also 12 HortNZ Industry Trainee Scholarship awarded.

Well, done to all our recipients

The night also consisted of HBFA’s industry awards for 2 categories. 1 – Emerging Achiever Award – This award recognises an individual who has demonstrated their ability to positively impact horticulture and who shows effective, values-driven leadership — strengthening relationships within their workplace, their teams, and across the wider industry. We were pleased to announce the winner of this award went to Malandi Fourie. Assistant manager at T&G Global

2 – Fourneau Award is an accolade that celebrates innovation in the fruit-growing sector—innovation that drives efficiency, enhances sustainability, and improves safety

within our industry – this year’s recipient of the Fourneau Innovation was awarded to Wade Taylor, the owner of Brimar Vegetation Services.

I want to thank all our sponsors and supports who made this night such a success.

We are keeping a close eye on the water allocation situation – Richard Pentreath is a member on the water group and will give us an update in next month’s newsletter. I encourage you to read Charlotte Drury’s update as she is HORTNZ’s representative in this space.

I had time with our newly appointed Mayor Wendy Schollum early in the month to share about what HBFA does, how along we have been around and our concerns namely protecting prime horticultural lands and of course water. By all accounts she seems very supportive and understands the importance that the fruit growing industry contributes to our local economy. I have invited her to speak at our HBFA young grower competition dinner on the 19th of June.

All the best to everyone who grows fruit, stay safe and have a productive and profitable harvest.

Kia kaha Brydon Nisbet

President Hawkes Bay Fruit Growers Associatio

Kia ora koutou,
At the beginning of the month we celebrated the successes of our students at the Industry Awards night.  Our congratulations go to Malandi Fourie (current Diploma student) from TnG who won the emerging leader award, and also to all our graduating students.  It can be quite emotional, saying congratulations and farewell to students that have been with us for several years, and humbling to hear how significant coming to study at EIT study has been for them.  A link to photos for the evening is available – if you and your student have not received it, please email Clare.
We have started all programmes in January, our first years doing tractors, Level 3s studying crop health and Level 4s completing a compliance course prior to harvest .  The Diploma students have selected a topic for the research class.  We have no classes over harvest but look forward to catching up with students towards the end of April.  There will be mid year options for starting most programmes.
Horticulture NZ scholarships are open to all EIT students, please encourage your students to apply.
Remember that Level 3 and 4 students may be eligible for Apprenticeship Boost funding, paid direct to the employer, for up to a year.  Make sure your HR team is on board with this generous funding.
Happy harvest, I hope the weather does its best for you all.
Noho ora mai Clare, Steven, Warren and Chris

Fundamentals of vigour management

Understanding the cause of your vigour in each block is key to establishing the most effective, cost-efficient management tool.

Back in 2018, the late John Wilton was concerned about the level of vigour seen in intensive plantings having a consequence on bud quality and fruit quality (colour and poor carbohydrate partitioning). 8 years on, and we are having the same conversations! In saying that carbohydrate balancing is key and vigour reduction can be taken too far. Ranking blocks in order of severity can help to prioritise areas for investment.

A useful way to think about vigour management is through the Liebig’s Barrel principle. It reminds us that until the most limiting issue is fixed, everything else is just plugging holes. As an example, fighting vigour using regalis does not fix the underlying issue if the growth is a result of excess Nitrogen. Identifying the cause of excess growth can be tricky with many factors influencing plant growth. To go into them all we would need a few more pages, but to list a few of the most common:

Tree structure –Fruit is the cheapest most rewarding form of vigour management. Does the canopy structure provide enough ’framework’ or ‘metres of fruiting wood’ to comfortably hold the target crop load in singles and/or even doubles (on preferred sites).

Wood texture should also be a consideration. As we have moved to more formal precision systems, the ‘fill a wire’ concept has been followed. This has been absolutely essential to fill the canopy and achieve cumulative yields; however a replacement programme must be implemented to ensure the larger, less fruitful, higher vigour units can be rotated out.

Pruning should focus on balancing carbohydrate. managing excess vigour and setting up high-quality wood for next season. Summer pruning is a highly effective tool for vigour management, but timing and execution will determine the response. E.g. for example, flush cutting when minimal regrowth is required, and stubbing when a stronger response is needed. Summer pruning off a weak/settled/terminated dart is counterintuitive to vigour management, and fruit quality.

Irrigation deficit is an ongoing balancing act that no one has truly mastered. Have your ever heard the saying, “treat ‘em mean keep ‘em keen?”. The first sign of plant stress is vegetative termination. If shoots are still growing, they are more than likely getting sufficient water. This comes back to the fundamentals of irrigation management – where is the active root zone and how is soil moisture behaving at each profile depth.

Combatting the vigour war will not happen overnight, but determining each blocks root cause will aid in making effective, cost-efficient decisions, leading to improved productivity and fruit quality.

 

Meg Becker

Overall, January brought a wet start to the new year for the region. By January’s end, regional rainfall totals neared 300% of the long term average, with Waikaremoana, Northern Hawke’s Bay, Tangoio, and the Heretaunga Plains all recording rainfall in excess of 300% of normal. This marked a shift from the dry conditions that persisted in the region in the last few months of 2025. River flows largely mirrored the rainfall pattern, sitting well above normal at most sites, with some northern catchments recording particularly high flows. Soil moisture levels responded strongly to the above average rainfall, with many monitoring sites reaching field capacity. Some sites such as Omakere also experienced prolonged saturation. Groundwater levels also improved, with the average regional condition sitting at “Normal” for January. Heretaunga Plains showed particularly encouraging signs of improvement, with more than half of monitoring sites recording “normal levels” and nearly a quarter showing “above normal” conditions. January also saw a few spikes in temperature, notably on 11 January when some high temperatures were recorded, with Napier Aero AWS reaching 36.3°C. Overall however, the maximum temperatures remained near or below normal while minimum temperatures were above normal across the region. Air quality remained excellent throughout January, with no PM₁₀ exceedances recorded in any of the airsheds.

 

 

 

Market Overview
Market conditions continue to track well, with increasing supply now coming out of the South Island. Supermarket shelves are well stocked and demand has been supported by the lead-in to Chinese New Year, which has provided a timely lift across several categories.
There have been some minor transport delays through Picton due to recent ferry disruptions, resulting in one- to two-day interruptions and a temporary tightening of supply. Any fruit affected by these delays will be incorporated into current picking and packing programmes later in the week. There is no fruit being held in cool storage post-packing, so supply remains current and moving through the system as expected.
North Island Growing Conditions
Growing conditions were ideal for most of last week until weather systems moved across parts of the lower North Island. The storm that affected South Waikato, Manawatu and Greater Wellington had limited impact in Hawke’s Bay.
The Heretaunga Plains received between 30 and 40 millimetres of rain, accompanied by strong winds. Encouragingly, there have been no reports of significant orchard damage. Some tree tops may show minor broken branches and leaf loss, and a few newly planted trees may need straightening, but overall the region has come through well.
There are early signs of autumn emerging, with a further slowing in Growing Degree Day accumulation. The week ahead is forecast to bring moderate temperatures and no rain, which should provide very good conditions for continued fruit development and harvest activity.
South Island Growing Conditions
Central Otago experienced settled weather last week, with good temperatures through to Monday and no rainfall. The outlook for the coming week remains similar, with moderate conditions expected to maintain steady maturity progression.
Harvest timing has largely returned to normal, with the season now only a couple of days behind historical averages. Growers report a sense of confidence, as current conditions allow fruit to be harvested at optimal maturity without pressure. Eating quality continues to be very good despite the cooler summer, and volumes of peaches and nectarines are steadily building.
Crop Update
Cherry volumes are now low, with the final fruit moving through the market. Feedback suggests that this late-season fruit has been some of the best tasting of the season, closing out the crop on a strong note.
Apricot supply is drawing to a close. Clutha Gold will complete its final pick this week. Nevis 160 and Summer Passion (NZS2) are currently being harvested, with Nevis 180 and Summer Blaze (NZS3) expected shortly. These will be the final apricots to reach the market this season.
Nectarine demand remains firm and volumes are increasing. The last Hawke’s Bay August Fire will be sold this week, after which the market will transition fully to Central Otago fruit. Mid Star is finishing and Late Star is just beginning. Other varieties currently being harvested include Venus, Summer Bright, Orion, Fantasia and Zephyr, providing good range and continuity of supply.
Peach volumes have strengthened for the first time this season, driven by golden varieties and peacharines from Hawke’s Bay. Golden Queen harvest has just begun on selected orchards. Fruit maturity is looking improved compared with last week, and Central Otago volumes are building steadily while demand remains strong. Hunny peaches such as Sweet Dream and Tropical Candy are available, alongside traditional varieties including Flamecrest, Rome Star and the final Glowing Star. White-fleshed Honey Water and Southern Star are also in the market. Flatto White is finishing, with Flatto Gold expected to continue for a further two to three weeks. Peacharines and Tatura Belle are just commencing harvest.
Plum supply remains tight. In Hawke’s Bay, growers are waiting on Marvel, expected at the end of this week, followed by Royal Star the week after. Current harvest includes light volumes of Te Mata Gold, Autumn Honey and Angelino. In Central Otago, volumes are also light, with limited Fortune still available and Freedom and Black Doris making up the majority of supply. Greengage continues to be picked and Omega is not far from harvest.
Overall, the season continues to progress steadily, with improving volumes across several categories and strong eating quality supporting the market.

 

 

 

 

 

EXCEPTIONAL APPLE AND PEAR HARVEST GETS UNDERWAY

New Zealand growers deliver fantastic 2026 crop to global markets

 New Zealand’s apple and pear harvest is underway, with early forecasts pointing to a standout season marked by exceptional fruit quality and high pack‑out rates.

A largely quintessential growing season across key regions has delivered a significant boost to productivity, across both traditional and new IP varieties.

It is a welcome return to form for the industry after several challenging years, that included Covid‑19 disruptions and extreme weather events, says New Zealand Apples and Pears (NZAPI) Acting General Manager Danielle Adsett.

“It’s incredibly heartening to see,” says Adsett. “The fruit looks and, most importantly, tastes fantastic. Growers are reporting excellent quality, early pack-outs are tracking really well and there’s a real sense of optimism across the industry.

“While we are still building toward previous pre-Covid peaks, this year’s improved productivity numbers are the real gamechanger for growers. After an excellent 2025 harvest, this season is also tracking in the right direction.”

A warm, dry spring with good growing degree days and high levels of solar radiation has resulted in large fruit with vibrant colour and delicious eating quality. Apples and pears from all growing regions are expected to store superbly for export markets.

“We’re delighted with the significant uplift in productivity, which can largely be attributed to the maturation of new plantings of IP varieties,” says Adsett. “It is particularly valuable given New Zealand apples and pears are in high demand, due to expansive opportunities across a number of our global markets and the premium quality of fruit.”

Productivity gains are attributed to the strong focus from growers to transitioning their orchards to more highly-productive growing systems, that are more efficient and deliver higher yields.

“The new IP varieties deliver higher yields and attract stronger returns in global markets, however some of these orchards are still relatively young,” says Adsett. “They need time in the ground before they reach full production, which suggests further growth and improved productivity is in the pipeline.”

New Zealand’s apple and pear industry is a major contributor to national export earnings as well as regional economies and supports New Zealand’s reputation as a leading producer of premium, safe and sustainably grown food.

As the 2026 harvest gathers momentum, growers are focused on delivering consistent quality to customers around the world, while continuing to invest for the future.

For further information: Please contact New Zealand Apples and Pears National Communications Manager Jessica Wauchop on jessicaw@applesandpears.nz or 021 254 0923

Just a quick update on a couple of RMA matters:

  • The Resource Management (Duration of Consents) Amendment Bill was passed late last year (2025). This reinstated and extended most expired resource consents until 31 December 2027. This is especially good news for those of you who have expired (or expiring) water permits within the TANK Catchments, as it means you now have certainty about how much water you have for the next couple of years. You don’t need to do anything to qualify for this extension – the regional council will do the admin that is needed. The council will likely get in touch to confirm this is what you want to do. If you are unsure, please get in touch and we can talk it through
  • Submissions have now closed on the RMA replacement bills (it is proposed to have two acts replace the RMA – the Planning Act and the Natural Environment Act). All of the submissions are now being considered by the Environment Select Committee, who can recommend changes, and/or identify issues that require further consideration. The select committee are expected to report back to parliament by the end of June (2026)

Please get in touch on 027 3225595 or via email at Charlotte.Drury@hortnz.co.nz if there is anything consent/resource management related you would like to discuss.

 

 

 

 

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