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
_________________

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.

Presidents Report

Just a short note from me as I’m currently sitting in Addis Ababa Airport waiting to fly to Cape Town and then home next week. This year has gone so quickly and what a great spring growing time we are having. Thinning is well underway, and the different crops look good.

Early November saw our annual fishing competition get going. A big thankyou once again to all our faithful sponsors and the new ones that came on board. We cannot hold such events without your support. Thanks to all the anglers who came out for the day and congratulations to all our prise winners.

Our next scheduled event is the HBFA awards evening in conjunction with EIT in early February.

Well, I said it would be short – I need to get moving.

Have a good read of the other articles in the newsletter to find out what’s happening around the sector.

Kia Kaha

Brydon Nisbet

September turned out to be another dry month, with the region receiving only around 60% of its normal rainfall.
Rainfall was well below normal across most areas, with the Heretaunga Plains and Southern Hawke’s Bay receiving only
35% and 38% of average rainfall, while the Ruahine Range was the only area to record above average numbers at 130%
of normal September rainfall. The regional hydrology also mirrored these rainfall patterns, with river flows across most
catchments dropping to less than half of their typical September levels. Groundwater conditions, which had shown
slight recovery in August, deteriorated again this month, particularly across the Heretaunga Plains, with some sites in
both the Heretaunga and Ruataniwha Plains recording lowest ever levels for the time of the year. Soil moisture levels
also echoed the dry conditions, sitting near or below average across the region.
On a positive note, air quality remained good, with no exceedances of PM10 standards recorded in any of the airsheds
this month. Temperatures brought a more spring like feel, with warmer than average days and slightly above average
nights for most of the region- hinting at warmer times ahead!

Presidents Report

It’s been a while since we last sent out our newsletter – August was our last one so a lot has happened in the Association since then.                                          So far, we have had an outstanding spring with the likelihood of another early harvest season. I’m sure everyone will be getting over the winds we have been having recently and what we really need is some rain – (I wouldn’t have been saying that 3 or 4 years ago but that’s growing – it’s either to dry or to wet. Stone fruit thinning is underway and apples wont be far behind.

We held our AGM back in September at our new premises Food East situated down Elwood Rd. Thank you to all those who came along.   Here is a brief from the night.

• HBFA acknowledged the passing of John Scott, Ross Duncan & John Moffit
• HBFA’s New constitution was presented and passed with a majority. If anyone would like a copy of the new constitution, please reach out to us and we will make sure you receive a copy.
• There were also two new executive nominations: Jayne Shearer and Greg Evans, both growers in their own right – they were automatically elected to the executive as there were no other nominees requiring us to have a vote. Since then, the executive’s have also nominated Hannah Grieves (Fruit Fed Supplies) as an independent executive for one year. We welcome them to the team here at HBFA.
• Tom Dams has been re-elected as vice president for another 2 years.
• The role of CE has recently been disestablished. We thank Callum for his contribution over the last 18 months.
• We also gave a special recognition to Richard Pentreath who has decided to finish his tenure with HBFA. Richard has been with us for around 10 years, during this time he has served as both vice president and president. Richard will carry on supporting us in various roles such as chairing the HAG (Horticulture Advisory Group) and representing us at on-going water meetings. He will also continue as a trustee of the HBFACT.

On September the 19^th we held our second HBFA golf tournament. This is a great way for growers and suppliers to re-connect outside the orchard gate. We will be building on this event next year with the date being bought forward to sometime in May. So, keep an eye out for the date

Next Tuesday on the 4^{th of} November – (weather permitting) we will be holding our annual fishing competition. Another great day on HBFA’s event Calander.

We will soon be asking for nominations for HBFA’s Emerging Achiever award. I encourage all our growers to look out when its advertised and consider who in your organisation may fit the awards criteria.

Please see article from HORTNZ re the current RSE court case decision that will likely have some effect on RSE employers going forward. Let us know if we can help in anyway.

I attended the National Young Grower down in Christchurch back in September. All contestants performed extremely well, and it was great to cheer Sam Carter on from HB. The eventual winner was Phoebe Scherer representing the Bay of Plenty.

Brydon Nisbet

President

September turned out to be another dry month, with the region receiving only around 60% of its normal rainfall.
Rainfall was well below normal across most areas, with the Heretaunga Plains and Southern Hawke’s Bay receiving only
35% and 38% of average rainfall, while the Ruahine Range was the only area to record above average numbers at 130%
of normal September rainfall. The regional hydrology also mirrored these rainfall patterns, with river flows across most
catchments dropping to less than half of their typical September levels. Groundwater conditions, which had shown
slight recovery in August, deteriorated again this month, particularly across the Heretaunga Plains, with some sites in
both the Heretaunga and Ruataniwha Plains recording lowest ever levels for the time of the year. Soil moisture levels
also echoed the dry conditions, sitting near or below average across the region.
On a positive note, air quality remained good, with no exceedances of PM10 standards recorded in any of the airsheds
this month. Temperatures brought a more spring like feel, with warmer than average days and slightly above average
nights for most of the region- hinting at warmer times ahead!