President’s Report – May 2026

 With the last of the apple bins now in, the 2026 harvest is officially over for another year.

While picking has finished, post-harvest operations are still under way, including packing, cool storage, and exporting. Shipping logistics and container movements through Napier Port have been flowing well, helping us move our premium fruit efficiently to global markets. A major highlight this season is the newly signed NZ–India Free Trade Agreement. The reduction in apple tariffs from 50% to 25% gives our industry a significant commercial opportunity in a market of 1.4 billion people during our peak export window. This is very positive news for growers and exporters alike.

My sincere thanks go to all orchard crews, shed managers, and packhouse teams for their hard work throughout the season.

 Standing with Our Vegetable Growers: The McCain Plant Closure

On a more serious note, our region is facing a significant challenge following the sudden announcement by Wattie’s and McCain Foods to close their Hastings processing plants. This decision directly affects more than 100 local growers and places our regional vegetable processing capability at serious risk.

We stand alongside Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Will Foley and Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum, and believe that government should agree to and support an independent, grower-led feasibility study on the viability of keeping the plant open. We stand firmly in solidarity with our affected vegetable-growing peers during this uncertain time. Food security has always been solid a given in NZ, and we need to make sure we protect our land and growers.

HortNZ is calling for nominations for the 2026 Horticulture Industry Awards.

The awards span six categories and celebrate excellence, leadership, service and innovation across the breadth of our sector.

Nominations are invited for six award categories:

• Horticulture Bledisloe Cup
• Horticulture New Zealand President’s Trophy
• Horticulture New Zealand Life Member
• Industry Service Award
• Sustainable Innovation Award
• Manaaki Award

To make a nomination, you must be either an active grower member of HortNZ, an affiliated product group or affiliated grower association.

Nominations close Monday, 15 June. Full award details and nomination form can be found on the HortNZ website here.

New Zealand Horticulture Conference 

Tickets are on sale for the 2026 New Zealand Horticulture Conference in Wellington on 28-29 July.

This year’s conference will once again be delivering high-quality content with strong commercial relevance for growers and the wider horticulture sector.

The programme is divided into three dedicated streams – strategic, RSE and technical – designed to appeal to a wide range of growers, employers, service providers and industry stakeholders.

The conference programme overview is available now; you can view this here.

A dedicated forum for Recognised Seasonal Employers only will be held the day prior to the conference offering the opportunity for targeted engagement.

New Zealand Apples and Pears Conference – 22/23 July

EXPO 2026 has expanded to two full days of insight, connection, and innovation.

Join growers, post-harvest teams, technical specialists, and industry partners for an immersive programme designed to inspire and equip you for the season ahead. EXPO location: QT Hotel (38-54 Lake Esplanade, Queenstown)
Dinner location: Millennium Hotel (Corner Frankton Road & Stanley Street).

Register for EXPO 2026 – Click here for registrations

HBFA Annual Golf Day

What a brilliant day out on the course for our annual HBFA Golf Classic on Friday 15 May

A huge thank you to everyone who came along, entered teams, sponsored holes, and made the day a success. The day was not only about golf but about taking a well-deserved afternoon to step off the orchard blocks, recharge, and catch up with mates after a demanding harvest season.

I want to extend our sincere gratitude to our incredible sponsors, volunteers, all who attended and to the team at HBFA who made this event happen. Congratulations to all our prize winners

Meet Your 2026 Young Fruit Grower Contestants!

Looking ahead to next month, the wait is officially over! We have formally introduced the eight outstanding contestants who will be competing for the title of Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower of the Year 2026 on 18–19 June:

• Maddi Sheridan (T&G Global)
• Mikayla Franklin (Craigmore)
• Mary Arkell (Taylor Corp)
• Georgia McKinnon (T&G Global)
• Maicha Slade (Apatu Farms)
• Saffron Riley (Mr Apple)
• William Horsefield (Ceed)
• Joseph Stenberg (T&G Global)

Tickets for the Awards Gala Dinner on Friday 19 June at Toitoi are on sale now. Do not forget to register your team by 17 June for the highly competitive Hurford Parker Tug of War Challenge, taking place on Thursday 18 June at Ranui Field ($1,500 prize pool up for grabs!).

Take care – enjoy some down time and I look forward to seeing as many as possible at out HBFA Young Grower Competition and dinner.

Ngā mihi nui,

Brydon Nisbet

President Hawkes Bay Fruit Growers Association

April rainfall was well above normal, almost double the month’s average total, but sandwiched between a very dry March and now May. April’s rain left river flows measuring above normal and soil moisture lying above median levels for the time of year. Groundwater levels for the month were mostly near or below normal but that might improve once April’s rain filters through. Daytime temperatures were near average but nights were warm for the time of year. Sea surface temperatures have been above average around most of New Zealand but cooler than average in Hawke Bay.

An El Niño event is expected to develop during the next couple of months and those events typically bring the region a west to southwest flow. Westerlies reduce the likelihood we’ll have above average rainfall because the western ranges help shelter us from storms coming from that direction. Forecasts suggest winter will bring us that west to southwest flow due to higher than normal sea level pressure lying to the west and lower than normal pressure to the east. That pattern leads to predictions of below or near normal winter rainfall and near normal temperatures, tempered by winds having a southerly aspect at times.

It’s great to see the harvest season coming to a close. From everything I’m hearing across the orchards, picking has gone well and the quality looks fantastic. We are now in the thick of packing and exporting, ensuring our amazing produce reaches customers all around the world.

A few weeks back, we dodged a bullet with the cyclone. While it didn’t eventuate into anything major, it was a timely reminder of how susceptible we are as growers to things we cannot control. In saying that the last couple of days have given us plenty of welcomed rain after such a dry March.

As president I sit on the committee for the Napier Port Hawkes Bay Primary Industry Awards. This event was held in early April and was an excellent night of celebrating the primary sector.   It was awesome to see Horticulture do well on the night with the following picking up awards

A Well-Deserved Honour for Chris Herries
A huge congratulations to Chris Herries for taking home the Professional of the Year award Chris has spent more than four decades as a trusted advisor to our region’s growers, bringing a wealth of knowledge that has helped many of us over the years.  Known for his leadership at Horticentre, Chris’s expertise in production systems, biosecurity responses, technical and nutritional advise is second to none, but it’s his personal commitment to supporting local growers that truly sets him apart. Congratulations on this fantastic achievement, Chris.

Orchard Success: Ngāti Pāhauwera Commercial Development Ltd
A massive congratulations to Ngāti Pāhauwera Commercial Development (NPCDL) for being named the Horticentre Horticulturalist of the Year. It is inspiring to see their 55-hectare Pākuratahi pipfruit orchard at Tangoio recognised for such high performance and forward-thinking management. Tom Keefe (Director at NPCDL) received the award on behalf of the whole team.

Industry Leader of the Year: John Bostock 

A standout highlight for me was seeing John Bostock receive the Hastings District Council Industry Leader Award. As the founder of Bostock New Zealand, John was recognised for his decades of pioneering work in commercial organic horticulture, effectively positioning Hawke’s Bay as a global leader in the sector. From transitioning to organic growing in 1996 to building the country’s largest integrated organic apple operation. He is also a large grower of squash and onions.

“Having spent a decade managing organic orchards for JB between 2002 and 2012, I know this award is a true testament to the tireless work that John and the entire Bostock NZ team put in every day – Congratulations.

We also want to give a special shout-out to orchard supervisor Te Rina Joe, from Ngāti Pāhauwera Commercial Development and Larissa Wooding-Ngata (Ngāti Porou), a foreperson at Craigmore Sustainables in Gisborne, for both becoming finalists for the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower Award. It’s fantastic to see such talent and dedication within our local growing community, and we look forward to seeing their continued expansion across Northern Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti Gisborne

Tukituki Water Security Project (Ruataniwha Dam)
There has been significant movement on the Tukituki Water Security Project recently, with the Government announcing an $18 million loan to test its commercial viability. As the project moves toward the Fast-track Approvals process, it offers a glimmer of hope for long-term water security in our region. If it progresses, the scheme could be a gamechanger for our growers, providing the consistent water supply needed to de-risk our orchards and support future expansion.

Events

Keep an eye out on our latest industry events coming up soon

• HBFA Golf Day – Friday 15^th May
• HBFA Young Fruit Grower Competition – 18^th/19^th

Kia kaha

Brydon Nisbet

President Hawkes Bay Fruit Growers Association

After a wet summer, much drier weather kicked off autumn.  March rainfall was well below normal, with the region getting just 38% of the month’s average and the Heretaunga Plains a mere 14%. River flows were well below average and soil moisture, which was high during summer, pared back to sit near median levels for the time of year.  Groundwater levels remained in good heart at the time of measuring. Air temperatures were average for early autumn so didn’t accelerate dry conditions with super-hot days.

 The tropical cyclone season runs until the end of April and that tropical influence, helped by warmer than average seas around New Zealand, has already left April’s rainfall looking healthy. With an El Niño event expected to develop by spring this year, good moisture stores leading into it would be ideal!   Seasonal forecast models already indicate drier conditions are on the horizon.  Over the next three months, their predicted sea-level pressure pattern is higher than average pressure west of New Zealand, near normal pressure over the country and lower than average pressure to the east.  That gives the region a west to southwest flow, bringing into play the rain shadow effect of our western ranges. Near or below normal rainfall is their favoured outcome and near normal temperatures.  We’ll be keeping a wary eye on the looming El Niño.     

Harvest Update: 2026 Season in Full Swing
We are now in the thick of the 2026 harvest. Following on form the great spring we had of last year, the weather again has been on our side, providing the warm, dry window needed for harvest.

RMA and Water Issues
Water security remains a top advocacy priority as we move through 2026. On behalf of HBFA, please see Charlotte’s report

• Resource Management Act (RMA): We continue to work closely with the Government and Council to ensure the voice of horticulture is central to the new “Fast-track” consenting frameworks. Our goal is simple: long-term certainty for our growers.
• Water Storage: We are closely monitoring the progress of the Ngaruroro storage proposal and the revitalised Tukituki Water Security Project. Securing reliable water is the only way to future-proof the “Fruit Bowl of New Zealand.”

Upcoming Events & Industry Milestones

• Napier Port Primary Sector Awards Dinner: Celebrating our industry leaders on Thursday, 2 April 2026, at Toitoi. This is now the 6^th year that horticulture has been a part of this event so best of luck to the participants of this year’s Hort industry award
• Young Fruit Grower of the Year 2026: Our regional competition will take place 18–19 June 2026.
• NZAPI EXPO 2026 (Queenstown): Mark your calendars for 22–23 July 2026. This year’s expo has expanded to two full days of technical workshops, specialist sessions and the industry awards evening.
• New Zealand Horticulture Conference (Wellington): The following week HORTNZ have their conference at Tākina, Wellington from 28–29 July 2026. This will be an integrated event combining the main Horticulture and RSE Conferences.
• HBFA Industry Golf Day: May 15^th – keep an eye out for details

Call to Action: Young Fruitgrower of the Year 2026
Applications for the 2026 Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower of the Year are now officially open!

We are looking for the next generation of leaders to step up. If you have a talented young person in your team under the age of 30, encourage them to enter. This competition is about more than just winning; it’s about networking, growth, and professional development.

I want to thank our sponsors and the dedicated HBFA team for their tireless work. To all our growers: stay safe, look out for your teams, and let’s bring this 2026 harvest home.

Kia kaha

Brydon Nisbet

President Hawkes Bay Fruit Growers Association

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
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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

Presidents Report

I hope this month’s report finds everyone in good spirits and that the recent hail events haven’t caused to much damage for our growers. Other than that, we have once again experienced excellent spring growth leading into the start of summer. As I get out and about talking to different growers, there is a positive and confident vibe that we are heading for another very good harvest of apples with clean, large fruit on the horizon. The Stone fruit season is currently in full swing with high volumes of fruit moving into the domestic market. Kiwi fruit is shaping up to be an excellent season having high bee activity during the spring which we know is vital for fruit size and quality. They have had very good canopy growth due to the excellent growing conditions.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Wellington and attended the 20-year celebration of Horticulture NZ. They were formed in 2005, when the NZ Fruit Growers Federation (est 1916), NZ Vegetable & Potato Growers Federation (known as Vegfed est 1957) and the Berry Fruit Federation (est 1978) merged to become HORTNZ. Andrew Fenton was the inaugural President and Chaired the role until 2013.    I started on the board in 2020 as the “future director” and was then voted on the following year in August 2021 as an elected grower. Barry O’Neil was the Chair of HORTNZ at this time. (Barry recently stepped down after finishing his 9-year term on the board and is currently the newly appointed chair of the “Environmental Protection Authority” (EPA).  Bernadine Guilleux is the current chair of HORTNZ, and I serve as deputy chair.  We have a diverse board of directors coming from different growing areas in NZ. They are involved in a range of horticulture crops. But I can honestly say when we meet for board meetings, all the directors are focused on the growth, prosperity and concerns of all growers in every area of horticulture throughout NZ. The board also has 2 appointed directors who have various skills, experience and expertise adding real value to HORTNZ.

Here’s a little about what the team at HORTNZ do with your growers’ levy.

HORTNZ is the primary governing body representing about 4500 fruit and vegetable growers in NZ.

Some of the Core functions and activities are:

• “Advocacy and Leadership”. They are the national voice on behalf of growers working with central and local government to influence policy and regulatory decisions, advocating for workable environmental policies, RMA reforms & Biosecurity.

• Environment and Sustainability – HORTNZ helps growers adapt to environmental regulations and promotes sustainable practices. Key areas of focus are water quality, soil health and climate change.

• Biosecurity – HORTNZ is a signatory to the Government Industry Agreement (GIA) allowing partnership with govt on biosecurity readiness and response to protect industry from pest and diseases.

• Labour, Careers & Events – HORTNZ takes the lead on RSE, working with multiple government departments to ensure the long-term viability of the scheme.  They provide regional representatives and regional extension offices to help bridge the gap between growers and HORTNZ (Wellington) – (This will roll out to all areas in 2026) They support the development of young people by leading the Young Grower & Young National Grower competitions and the annual “Horticulture NZ Leadership course” They also host the RSE and Horticulture conference  (28^th-29^th July, 2026 – Wellington)

This is just a glimpse at what HORTNZ do for growers – They take the lead and support the product groups such as NZAPI and associations like HBFA in many of these areas.     Much of the work HORTNZ do is unseen, but you can be sure the team at HORTNZ and passionate and committed in what they do for you and work tirelessly on your behalf everyday.  Here is a one-page link to the “Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan” (AHAP) – If you go to the HORTNZ website they have the entire plan there for you to read.

https://www.hortnz.co.nz/assets/About-Us/Aotearoa-Horticulture-Action-Plan/A4-one-page-summary.pdf

On February 4^th we will be holding out annual “Industry Awards” evening in conjunction with EIT, to be held at Toi Toi. This is a great event celebrating our horticulture students who have completed their studies with certificate presentations and scholarships awarded. We also have our “Emerging Achiever” award and “Innovation” award presented on the night. All members are welcome.

On a final note – I want to thank all our members, sponsors and especially our HBFA executive team who give much of their time to serve our great industry.

Have a very Merry Christmas, take care of yourselves, enjoy your celebrations with family and friends, and remember our best years are always ahead.

Kia Kaha

Brydon Nisbet

President

It was a dry spring and it was rounded out by below normal November rainfall, which was only 71% of the month’s average.  The low rainfall was accompanied with impressively hot temperatures, both daytime and overnight temperatures were approximately 3°C above average.  It was scorching for the time of year, which doesn’t help the land retain the moisture it has.

River flows were well below average during November and groundwater conditions across the region were also below normal.  Soil moisture ended the season near or below average and the Heretaunga Plains remained a particularly dry spot.

The hot November temperatures were stoked by sea surface temperatures that were and continue to be much higher than average.  Apart from warming our land temperatures, they also raise the likelihood that storms hitting New Zealand will bring significant amounts of rain.  That relies on the storms reaching us though but so far high-pressure systems have been mostly successful fending them off.

That’s likely to be the pattern through early summer but eventually La Niña conditions are expected to become evident as summer progresses.  Therefore, the region could expect more northeasterly winds and a few more rain-makers visiting the region. Hopefully not Christmas Day!  Overall, summer rainfall is forecast to be near normal and temperatures near or above normal.  The La Niña event is expected to wane towards the end of summer, though its influence may linger a bit longer.