Executive Insights Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers' Association

Kia ora koutou,

It is hard to believe that one year has passed since the devastating cyclone Gabrielle hit our region. This past week saw many Commemorations take place, official gatherings and community’s all coming together to remember what happened on Feb 14th, 2023.

We remember those who lost their lives, we remember those who lost their homes and orchards especially those who can no longer build back on their land or where it has become impossible to ever grow back on their land. We remember the many orchardists and growers who combined lost thousands of hectares of trees not to mention the hundreds of thousands of tons of fruit and vegetables. As I look around the region, I’m encouraged to see how much work has been done to remediate broken orchards, where at one stage it looked a near impossibility for these orchards to ever be reinstated. I’m extremely proud of the way our growers have stood up and got on with the job at hand. This came at a great cost to our us, yes there have been government funds that have helped contribute to clearing some of the mountains of silt, which we are all grateful for, but the cost to clear trees, fix broken posts and wires, repair or replaced irrigation systems, flush wells, plant new trees, grass down and fixed ruined orchard tracks has been no easy task.

Some growers still have many years left as they wait for new trees to replant where their orchards were completely wiped out. The orchards that are up and running are looking good, trees for the most part have bounced back and are holding decent crops. We need everything to go our way now, a good dry “weather” harvest, a packing season with higher-than-average packouts and strong robust marketing and sales programmes focused on getting the best returns possible for our growers. But I believe we are on the way to “Growing back Bigger, Better and Stronger”

In early February HBFA held out annual industry awards night at Toi Toi. We had a record 250 in attendance who came along to support this event. Here is a short brief of the night. A big thankyou to Bex Tacan and her team for helping make this event such a success.

Our Emerging Achiever award went to a well-deserved Hannah Greaves – Fruit Fed supplies.

Our Fourneau award for innovation was awarded to Croptide for the sensor, designed for plants such as kiwifruit, and apple trees, which reads the hydration status directly from the plant’s stem.

Receiving certificates for completing their studies in 2023

· 4 x L5 diploma graduates for fruit production

· 5 x L5 diploma graduates for post-harvest.

· 23 x L4 graduates for Fruit production

· 1 x L4 graduate for post-harvest.

HBFA awarded a record number of scholarships this year.

· 7 x HORTNZ scholarships.

· 35 x HBFACT scholarships.

· 2 x HBFACT degree scholarships.

I want to commend all the students for continuing to commit to their studies through what was a very difficult year. A special mention to all the EIT and ITO tutors and the on-job trainers who helped these young people achieve their qualifications – the industry needs you and we value all the work you do.

I want to officially welcome Callum Ross our new chief executive who started with us at the end of January. He is extremely excited to be part of HBFA and has a real desire to make a difference in whatever way he can. You will be seeing and hearing from him as he gets around and makes himself known.

Our next event is our HB Young Fruit Grower – to be held on the 6th and 7th of June – you will be hearing more on this very soon.

HBFA has been around since 1899 so 2024 will see HBFA’s 125th anniversary – Our team will be looking at how we can celebrate this later in the year so watch this space.

HBFA are believing for 2024 to be a great and prosperous year for all our growers, All the best for your harvest.

Kia Kaha,

Brydon Nisbet
HBFA President

Kia ora koutou,

Christmas is upon us, the sun is shining, and there are some hot days ahead. Everything appears to be lined up for a good harvest, albeit I am aware that there are areas of blackspot appearing in some blocks – it was a difficult spring, with long wet periods occurring on a regular basis throughout our important spraying period. Attention is now necessary to prevent secondary infection from worsening problems. As we all know, blackspot can be a market access issue that prevents fruit from accessing certain key markets.

I must say I’ll be pleased to see the back of 2023 for obvious reasons. I won’t dwell on the events of 14th February – enough has been said already (not of course minimising for one minute the grief this caused many of our growers).

So, here’s a quick re-cap of 2023.

HBFA pushed through with some key events which brought a real sense of unity within the industry. Just days before the cyclone, we held our Industry Awards Night with many of our young and up-coming growers receiving scholarships and certificates for completing their study at EIT or ITO. In addition, Kurt Livingston was presented with HBFA’s Emerging Achiever Award with David Styles from Hawk Technology receiving the Foureau award for innovation. Please note that this year’s Industry Awards Night will be held on Thursday Feb 1st and everyone is welcome to attend and support this free event.

We decided to move our Young Fruit Grower competition to August to give us all time to breathe after the cyclone. It proved to be another outstanding event with Jan Buter from T&G taking the honours ahead of Danielle Sammons from Jonny Appleseed who was a very worthy runner up. The awards dinner also included Graham Hope formerly from Crasborne’s (now Kiwi Crunch) being awarded the Joe Bell trophy for services to the fruit growing industry.

Our annual fishing comp was help last month with a record turnout of anglers and huge support from our loyal sponsors who provided an impressive array of prizes. The fishing was also fantastic – a great way for growers to come together.

I’m very proud of how the HBFA executive committee and management came together to support the needs of our industry this past year. In the days following Cyclone Gabrielle we set up a Cyclone Relief fund that subsequently raised over $350K to support impacted growers. These funds have been used to support a range of initiatives including; wellbeing support, the provision of technical and financial advice and a range of grants to support with cyclone related costs. I’d like to thank all of those who contributed to this fund – the list of those involved is far too long to mention them all.

This year has also seen us build strong partnerships across our sector and with wider stakeholders like central and local authorities. HBFA played a key role in establishing the Hawke’s Bay Horticulture Advisory Group (HBHAG) which has advocated strongly around a number of issues. With the support of HBHAG, we were successful in receiving $600K of funding from MPI which has been used to resource additional extension services and fund business advisory services to a large cohort of impacted growers.

I would like to thank all our members and remind you that we are always here and available to be contacted for any reason – please reach out. A big shout out also to our many sponsors who contribute so much to us, we really couldn’t do what we do without you help and support – Thank You.

Thanks also to the team at New Zealand Apples & Pears for being so supportive of HBFA. Over the last few years, we’ve developed an excellent working relationship with them. We have our office at their headquarters on Eastbourne Street, and their staff are always extremely accommodating and professional.

I must also acknowledge and thank the wider HBFA team including our contractors and suppliers, for the hard work, commitment and support they provide the fruit growing industry in HB.
Finally, from me – have a good break (away of possible), enjoy Christmas time with family and friends and stay safe. As we come to the end of 2023 and start a new year, I want to encourage you with some words that have always helped me when I’ve been through tough times.

“Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things ahead. Our best days are yet to come”.

Ngā mihi

Brydon Nisbet
HBFA President

On behalf of the HBFA executive committee, I am are thrilled to announce the appointment of our new CEO, Callum Ross, who brings a wealth of experience with 18 years in horticulture, healthcare, and hi-tech industries.

Callum’s dedication to our region and his expertise in sustainable business practices have been pivotal in enhancing the growth and success of various prominent New Zealand and community organizations. His unique perspective, deep understanding of horticultural challenges and a passion for supporting business will ideally position him to lead HBFA into its 125 year and beyond.

Callum joins the association after more than seven years with Rockit Global Limited, where he has played a crucial role in shaping the company’s narrative. Within this tenure, he has made substantial contributions across numerous aspects of the business – particularly in new product development, and the establishment of robust governance strategies.

His versatility and breadth of expertise in both for-profit and not-for-profit sectors has been demonstrated through the strong impact he has had in roles at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and in several board positions, including as a Board member at Environment Centre Te Matau-a-Māui.

A proud alumnus of Napier Boys’ High School and a native of Patoka, Callum hails from a farming family which embedded his strong work ethic and integrity.

We look forward to Callum leading our business and are confident that his skills and dedication will continue to propel our industry forward.

Welcome to the team Callum!

Yours sincerely,

Brydon Nisbet – HBFA President

Another month has rolled by with most crops looking promising at this stage. We are still getting rain every 7-10 days which is always good for fruit growth and young trees that have been planted. We are told the El Niño season is likely to come in from around mid-January so we could be in for a dry harvest season which will be nice.

Most growers have started to thin their crops. Summerfruit a few weeks ago with apple growers now starting to get into the swing of things. Some growers are experiencing quite a heavy fruit drop on their blocks especially if the trees were in wet soggy ground this past year.

Last week HBFA held its annual fishing competition with a record turnout of boats and registrations. A special thankyou to all our sponsors as we couldn’t hold this event without your generous support. Thanks to Bex Tacon (our new events lead), the organising committee and of course all the growers who came out to the comp. The fishing was fantastic with plenty of snapper. I was fortunate to be onboard the boat “Stampede” which caught the biggest snapper of the day at 8.67kg – well done to Andrew Dillon who reeled it in.

Over the last 18 months our GM Dean Smith has done an outstanding job for the association. He came in on a short-term contract, which was updated earlier this year following the Cyclone. Dean is moving on from his role with HBFA but will remain in our industry. He finishes fulltime next week but will continue supporting the association for 2 days a week until mid-January. The executive committee would like to thank Dean for the hard work, commitment, and passion he has for the wellbeing of our industry and its people. He has been instrumental in mobilising our Cyclone Recovery Fund and establishing the Hawke’s Bay Horticulture Advisory Group (HBHAG) which he currently chairs. The HBHAG has served to bring the wider horticultural sector together and advocate for impacted growers throughout the region. The commitment of HBFA in these areas will continue and I encourage those materially impacted by the Cyclone to stay engaged and apply for the support on offer.

We are currently concluding a recruitment process and hope to be able to make an announcement next month regarding Dean’s replacement.

Kia kaha Brydon Nisbet

Ngā mihi

Brydon Nisbet
HBFA President

The All Blacks are in the final of the world cup, climatic conditions have shifted, fruit trees that appeared to be doomed during the floods are bouncing back to life (not all, of course, but more than expected), and we have a new government (although its formation is still to be determined). This is all good news.

We did not have an easy run under the previous government. The RSE settings during Covid resulted in significant labour shortages, even though robust alternative proposals were presented by industry organizations. The industry has also been burdened by significant increases in labour costs, which have pushed production costs to unprecedented levels.

I would however like to acknowledge outgoing Labour MP Anna Lorke. Anna has been a great advocate for our industry. She knows many of our growers and has worked very hard on our behalf across a range of issues. Her commitment to our region and especially horticulture cannot be questioned. She was also a great supporter of HBFA and always made an effort to attend our events – thank you Anna.

I’d like to welcome our new elected Tuki Tuki MP, National’s Catherine Wedd who is well known to our industry being a former NZAPI director and having spent a several years working for Bostock NZ. Catherine has a deep understanding of the issues facing horticulture and we look forward to seeing her advocate strongly on behalf of our region.

I would also like to thank The Evergreen Foundation (Tumu Group) for hosting an exceptional event earlier this month to show their support for cyclone-affected growers. They wanted to do something personal and tangible, so they devised a plan to fill approximately 130 apple bins with a variety of items, such as power tools, chemicals, pruning equipment, knife sets, wine, beer, etc. Impacted growers were invited to attend the event with their trailers to collect their bin, grab a bite to eat and network. I particularly liked the A3 poster in my bin which included the inspirational message “Keep going – Keep growing”. I’m advised that these posters were hand drawn by the kids of Tumu Group staff members – a lovely gesture.

I should also acknowledge the numerous other ways in which Evergreen Trust has supported the community since the cyclone. Their efforts to fund the collection and cleaning of tens of thousands of flood-damaged apple bins from across the province is particularly relevant to our industry. I am also aware that they also funded a large number of machine “digger” operators in the Esk Valley area to help clear orchards and clean out properties and dwellings of silt and debris.

In other news, Jan Buter represented HB at the National Young Grower of the Year competition earlier this month in Pukekohe. Jan won the “Young Fruit Grower” category and finished second in the National Young Grower competition. Congratulations to Jan and the entire T&G team that assisted him.

Many thanks to everyone who was able to make it to our 124th annual general meeting. Next year, in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the HBFA, we intend to do something extra special; we will keep you updated on our plans.

Last but not least, a friendly reminder to everyone that our annual fishing competition will be held on October 31 (weather permitting). There will be a lot of wonderful prizes up for grabs at this fantastic event. Please pass on the information, and we will see you next week.

Kia kaha Brydon Nisbet

Ngā mihi

Brydon Nisbet
HBFA President

What a fantastic week we have just had with our annual Hawkes Bay Fruit Growers’ Association’s Young Fruit Grower of the Year (HBYFG) competition. Lindisfarne College served as the competition’s host for the first time this year.

The day began at 7:30am with a Mihi whakatau in the school chapel. Being an Old Boy of the College, this was particularly significant to me. There were 8 exceptional competitors who gave their all on the given day. We included a leadership panel this year for the first time, and Te Radar served as the moderator. The same topic was presented to each contestant, and they had two minutes to talk about it before Radar asked a question and the floor was then extended to the audience for general inquiries.

Around 300 guests from business, sponsors, and friends attended the finale on Friday night for dinner and candidate speeches. What a fantastic evening we had, with 8 amazing talks. Jan Buter won the HBYFG in 2023, with Danielle Sammons finishing in second place. Congratulations also to the other six finalists, Karlee, Ben, Sven, Shaye, William, and Nga. I salute each of you for having the bravery to participate in what is becoming an iconic event.

I want to thank all our sponsors because without your help, this competition would not be possible. A special thanks also to the entire HBFA team for all of their efforts in making this event a success. I’d also like to express my gratitude to Jo Pentreath for all she has done to make the event such a success. Jo has been raising her own bar for the past three years, and regrettably for us, this year’s HBYFG competition and dinner will be Jo’s last.

The event also incorporates the awarding of the Joe Bell Trophy for outstanding contribution to our industry. It was fantastic to see this awarded to Graham Hope who has given so much to fruit growing in our region.

On a separate but extremely important topic, I want to urge all growers and landowners impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle to submit their applications to the Sediment and Debris Fund by August 31^st. I also remind you to lodge expressions of interest to the NIWE Primary Producer Finance Scheme – the deadline for this is 8^th September 2023.

Contact Dean at HBFA if you require assistance or advice, and he will point you in the proper direction.

Ngā mihi

Brydon Nisbet
HBFA President

Last month there was an announcement from the Government on the “next steps” of their cyclone recovery package. Like many growers I was very underwhelmed with what they presented.

It’s noteworthy that at the request of The Government, The Hawke’s Bay Grower Taskforce (which I am part of), prepared a comprehensive assessment of the cyclone’s impact and presented this to Government in April. This report included a business case to articulate the support required, and what the economic and social risks would be if this was not forthcoming. Sadly, what was announced on 29^th June is well short of what is required.

I was particularly disappointed there weren’t additional grants alongside the various “loan schemes” that were announced. I do however note that since the announcement there have been further discussions with Government, and they have assured us, they are coming back with a revised structure that will be more workable for our industry. We anticipate additional clarity at the All-Hort meeting this coming Friday in Havelock North.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to express my support for the industry leaders who have been representing growers in discussions with Government. I know they have been doing their utmost to get us the best possible outcome.

As we look ahead, there will be some tough financial and business decisions to make. HBFA is mindful that there will likely be a need for growers to source external advice to help them engage with their banks and access the different government packages on offer. We are currently exploring how we can support this process and hope to make some announcements in this space over the coming weeks.

On the topic of funding, I’m pleased to learn that some growers are now receiving payouts from The Sediment & Debris Fund. I also note that the deadline to apply to this fund has been extended through to the end of August, which will give more time for those who are still working through the application process.

In more positive news, we are now only a few weeks away from our annual Young Fruit Grower Competition, which will this year be staged over the 10^th and 11^th of August. This is an outstanding event, and if you haven’t yet purchased your tickets to the awards dinner then get in soon as they are selling out fast.

Ngā mihi

Brydon Nisbet
HBFA President

I want to start off with a huge congratulations to Grace Rehu, who won the 2023 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower award that was presented earlier this month up in Tauranga. Grace works as a leading hand for T&G in Puketapu with sector manager Tom Dames. One of judges commented that Grace had clearly demonstrated the three values of the judging criteria: Manaakitanga – looking after others, Whānaungatanga – engagement, and Mana Motuhake – being authentic. Well done Grace we are very proud of your achievement.

A special mention also to Alix Te Kere (who was one 3 finalists for this award). Alix works for Rockit Global as their on-orchard H & S officer. Alix was also a runner-up at our own Young Fruit Grower in 2022.

Well done also to Ngāi Tukairangi Trust who were finalists in the Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori Horticulturist. As many of you will know, Ngāi Tukairangi have a large presence here in Hawke’s Bay where they grow both kiwifruit and apples. A big congratulations also to Wi Pere Trust in Tairāwhiti who took out this coveted trophy.

The sediment and debris fund is now up and running. Growers can apply for up to $210K ex. GST on a 50:50 basis – so a grower would need to spend or have incurred costs of $420k ex gst to claim the full amount on offer. Applications to this fund are proving to be quite complicated for many and HBFA are helping people where possible. The Association ran a Q&A webinar earlier in the month and we’ve also facilitated “drop-in centres” for growers to get in-person support with their applications. It should however be noted that we are not an official part of the application or evaluation process.

We are still waiting to hear from Government on “next steps” regarding funding, noting that nothing has yet been announced to assist with costs to re-plant or restore damaged growing systems. Many growers are frustrated on how long this is taking. I do know that there is a cohort of industry leaders working with Govt on devising a plan going forward and we are hopeful that we will hear something next week. I, like many growers need to make decisions on what the future holds for our businesses. With the biological timeline ticking along trees and orchards don’t wait and decisions need to be made on future plantings, ordering of trees and posts etc.

In the first week of August, the NZAPI, RSE and the Horticulture New Zealand conferences are running one-after-the-other (Mon 31st July – Friday 4th August). HBFA and The Evergreen Trust have contributed funds to help cyclone affected growers attend some or all the conferences. Grants of up to $2000 per person (max 2/entity) are available, so if you are an impacted grower, I encourage you to consider attending. For more information, please email info@applesandpears.nz

Finally, we have our annual HBFA Young Fruit Grower of the year competition coming up August 10th with the dinner event to be held on the 11th of August. Tickets to the event will be coming on sale very soon. We have 8 exceptional young fruit growers competing for this year’s prize. I encourage you to come along and get in behind our industry as we celebrate our up-and-coming young leaders in our industry. We will also be awarding HBFA’s Joe Bell Trophy for services to the industry – this was awarded to Leon Stallard in 2022 and will this year go to another extremely worthy winner.

Ngā mihi

Brydon Nisbet
HBFA President

Harvest is all over for another year and I’m hearing that those crops that were able to be picked are packing out well with fruit quality looking good. This is a positive for our industry, it’s good for Hawke’s Bay, good for New Zealand, and it’s an important message to remind global markets that we continue to be a world leading producer of quality fruit.

As a Regional Association, we are working hard to balance how we celebrate the ongoing success and vitality of our industry with the need to draw attention to the obvious destruction that so many have endured. For those that were unaffected by Cyclone Gabrielle – we cheer you on. For those that were impacted – we stand with you in support. HBFA will continue to be here to advocate for our industry and to help our growers in any way we can, so please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our executive committee are meeting next week to discuss more ways we can help our affected growers with the funds we have raised so far. Growers will hear more about this in June.

It’s also a balancing act with the Government. Of course, we welcome the help we have received so far but it is nowhere near enough to get growers get back on their feet in any substantial way. There have now been 3 comprehensive reports prepared and shared with The Government to articulate the damage that Cyclone Gabrielle has caused to horticulture and the risks this poses to local communities and the wider economy. These include the BCG (Boston Consultancy Group) report initiated by Rockit Global, our own HB Grower Taskforce report (which includes a recommended support framework), and the government’s own report prepared by the Ministry of Primary Industry. All these reports state very clearly the economic and social consequences if there isn’t immediate assistance to get our growers up and going.

Last week a few of us met with the Prime Minister and Finance Minister to hear them announce their Hawke’s Bay Cyclone Relief Package. Unfortunately, this included very little for growers and farmers. Minister Robertson commented that the reports were very good and aligned and indicated that The Government will make a further announcement in early June, so we remain hopeful for our impacted growers. We have consistently reminded The Government of the urgency needed for action. The biological time clock is ticking along, orchards need to get cleaned up and big decisions need to be made urgently regarding re-instatement of crops and the re-establishment of orchards.

Another area causing delays, frustration, and anxiety for many is the issue of zoning. We anticipate Zone 1 categories to be announced by the end of the May which will hopefully enable those landowners to progress insurance payments and make decisions. The other zoning categories will then go into a consultation process involving relevant parties. Please know that The Hawke’s Bay Grower Taskforce, of which I’m a member is advocating on behalf of all growers to deliver the best possible result for all affected parties.

As recently announced, our Young Grower of the Year event has been delayed to the 10th and 11th of August. Planning for this event is advancing well and we look forward to showcasing the fantastic talent we have emerging in our region. Our industry will continue, and I believe it can be bigger and better than ever before.

Kia kaha,

Brydon Nisbet
HBFA President

Sign up to our Newsletter