Alan Pollard, Chief Executive, New Zealand Apples & Pears
Not surprisingly, a large focus for NZAPI remains on seasonal labour. Since my last note, matters have moved at pace.
The government announced that 2,000 RSE workers will be able to return to NZ in accordance with the largest border exemption given to date. There are strict conditions attached to the approval including:
While I agree that some of the conditions don’t make commercial sense, these are the conditions that we must work within. NZAPI will stand up the manifests for each of the 13 or so flights, and for the MIQ spaces. We are working with summer fruit, kiwi fruit, wine, master contractors and Horticulture NZ on a fair and equitable allocation methodology. We are communicating with employers as often as we can (recognising that this is moving very fast) and as data is needed.
The NZAPI Board and staff travelled to Wellington last week – we do this once each year. On the first day we met with the MPI senior leadership team on a range of topics, including a snapshot of the industry today, what our prospects and opportunities are, and the challenges that we face. We discussed an apple/plant sector strategy and agreed that industry and MPI need to work closer together.
On the second day, the NZAPI Board and staff met with the Horticulture NZ Board and some team members. We do this annually to discuss matters of collective interest and address any matters arising. During our meeting we were joined by Vangelis Vitalis (MFAT) updating us on the global trade environment; Viv Rickards of MSD (and members of his team) to discuss the MSD response to the labour shortage; and Ruth Isaacs of Immigration/MBIE (and members of her team) to discuss the Immigration/MBIE response to the labour shortage. On the third day members of the NZAPI team attended the Horticulture Forum, and contributed to discussions on industry representation on various government groups, the merits (or otherwise) of a horticulture strategy, a Q+A on the seasonal labour issue and a debrief on the lock downs earlier this year.
There is a huge amount of activity continuing in R&D, crop protection, market access, biosecurity, trade and capability.
2020 has been very tough year, and 2021 is shaping up to be just as challenging. We acknowledge the work that HBFA continues to do for growers, and value the relationship and engagement that has developed between our organisations.
We wish all growers a very merry Christmas and look forward to working with you all in 2021.
Reflecting on 2020, harvest and lock-down now seems a long time ago with so much taking place in the months since. A national election, on-going border closures and a shrinking labour market have all defined the year. But thankfully fruit growers are a resilient bunch of people and the challenges faced this year have helped bring us closer together as an industry. We all face the same challenges regardless of the crops we grow and it has great to see our national product groups working closely together in Wellington to achieve the best possible outcomes for all growers. There is still much work to be done to ensure all fruit can be harvested this season and the HBFA Executive Committee will strive to support it’s members in whatever way it can.
Amidst the global crisis, HBFA has navigated its way through a significant strategic review and I am excited about what the future holds for HBFA. Despite significant changes to the outward face of the Association, our core purpose remains largely unchanged as expressed in our mission statement ‘To ensure the longevity of fruit growing in Hawkes Bay’.
I would like to thank all HBFA executive committee members, trustees, staff and supporters for the work they have done this year on behalf of the fruit growing community in Hawkes Bay. Many hours are volunteered freely and we would not exist without you.
I am really looking forward to meeting as many members as possible at our upcoming events in 2021, kicking off with the Industry Awards night in January at the new Toitoi Art and Events Centre, followed by the Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower Competition and Awards Dinner In June.
Stay safe and have a very merry Christmas.
Richard Pentreath
HBFA President
Protect
Chris Treneman
The impact of Covid-19 on the horticulture sector has been immense. An industry that was a lifeline to many workers during Covid- 19, the industry now finds itself facing a severe labour shortage and every chance of Class One fruit being left to rot on the trees.
Thank you to the large number of kiwis who have already stepped up and jumped into horticulture this season. It is a critical period for the industry prior to harvest with fruit thinning and subsequent canopy management to set the trees up for harvest. For a large number of growers, some hard decisions have been made- largely to reduce crop loads on the back of insufficient labour to pick the fruit. No grower makes this decision lightly.
New Zealand Apples and Pears, alongside other product groups have been negotiating for several months with Government to address the labour shortage dilemma. The recent announcement of 2,000 RSE workers into the country to assist with harvest, it is a great start. However, 14,000 RSE workers a year usually support our industry, and with 6,000 of those from last year who have chosen to stay and work this season, the industry is still considerably short of workers to help get the crop off this harvest.
We have plenty of challenges ahead for our industry. I hope that as a region we can collectively work together and ‘Pick the Bay’ come harvest.
Good luck for the coming few months and enjoy time with your family over the Christmas period.
Foster
Brydon Nisbet
As we come to the end of 2020, I’ve reflected on a year that has been like no other. Our industry has been forced to adapt, behave and think differently. What hasn’t changed however is our ability to work together as a sector- these are the pillars that define our industry as is our ability to connect, even if the mediums enabling communication are somewhat new!
2021 is going to be a fantastic year! The year kicks off with our annual Industry Awards Night on Thursday 28th January. We will be recognising the achievements of our graduates, scholarships recipients and contributions to the horticulture sector with the presentation of the Joe Bell and Fourneau Trophy.
Applications have opened for the Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower of the Year Competition in June and we look forward to engaging with up-and-coming emerging talent in our industry. The Awards Dinner is shaping up to be a fabulous night with several exciting changes including Te Radar as MC for the Dinner.
A heart felt thanks to EIT and Primary ITO for all the work training many of our employees in their chosen field. These organisations play a hugely important role up-skilling and training our workforce.
As we know the industry is facing labour challenges. I encourage you to keep an eye on each other, support each other and be willing to help one another where possible – industry collaboration will be the key for riding this next wave through to harvest and beyond.
Thank you to all our members, sponsors, friends of our industry and all growers for your support this year.
Have a very merry Christmas – stay safe and we’ll see you in the New Year.
EIT Trainee News
Despite 2020 being one of the most difficult on record with Covid lockdowns, the EIT staff are happy that the year has been successful. All the teaching staff have large piles of marking on their desk and the results sheets are filling nicely. Thank you to all the managers who have shared their knowledge and time with our trainees.
We will still here Wednesday 23rd of December to help students and receive any new enrolments.
The timetable for next year can be downloaded here, so if you have any new trainees please have a look at the timetable. For further information, please contact EIT Tutor Gordon Reid on greid@eit.ac.nz or 06 8301851.
Promote
Cindy Dixon
2020 has been a year of substantial change for the Association. Little did we know that the most significant change to our operating model during the past decade, would also coincide with a pandemic! For the past 12 months the Executive Committee has been working incredibly hard to reposition the Association to be able to better respond and represent our growers and members. We have innovated our the way we operate, by leveraging new and digital ways of working, in order to better communicate, engage and represent all growers- both young and old. Graduates from EIT and Primary ITO will be the future leaders of this industry and as a region we must invest, engage and ensure we have the tools to communicate to them effectively.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Promote Committee and Marketing Infusion for their dedication and support over the past 12-18 months. From brainstorming sessions that commenced in 2018, a year on we identified the need to adapt a new model and in August 2019 we started the process of rebranding the Association. Six months on we had rolled out a new website, undertaken a rebrand, established social media platforms and responsive sponsorship and membership models- all whilst our team held down their own respective day jobs! Our industry is extremely fortunate to have such passionate, driven Executive members who proactively engage and represent the region and our members.
Next year, we have some exciting changes ahead for our events. No doubt we will be thrown a few curve balls with the imminent labour issues, but as a region we have proven to ourselves and the world markets, that we are good at responding to challenges. This is a time that we must collectively work together to achieve a common goal- producing and selling world class fruit grown in Hawke’s Bay.
Look after yourselves, enjoy your whanau and safe travels during the Christmas period.
Richard Mills, Summerfruit NZ Market Support
We talk about the weather, look at the forecast twice a day, watch the sky as thunderstorms go over, but it is our reality.
We know it has been warm and the data confirms that. The growing degree days are more than any of the previous four years and the maximum for November is 5-6°C higher than the mean maximum over the same time period. No wonder the GDD are ahead of expected and fruit size is looking splendid. A quick check on the Auckland weather (as at the end of November) suggests that summer has not quite arrived there yet, so the fruit is not yet being pulled through the marketing chain. Let’s hope that by the time you read this the demand is stronger.
Crop loads in most blocks seem good, good enough to spend time thinning. There has been the occasional light crop of plums but not enough to make any significant difference to the expected total.
Tree health is looking really good as one might expect with November rainfall three to four or even five times what has been the 16-year November average. With good rain comes more infection periods and lots of time on the sprayer. In my travels, I have seen a little disease expression- well done! The chemical retailers tell me there is enough product in stock for the season. Splitting of nectarine and cherry is most certainly a reality and will be the site of infection as well as a lovely lure for Carpophilus beetles. Please monitor and react as needed.
As a contrast the apricot trees that I have seen in Central Otago have got significant new bacterial infections from the frost plus snow event from a few weeks ago. Both Jack Hughes (Summerfruit’s Research Manager) and myself believe that bacteria is the number one disease issue in stonefruit all around the country.
Brown rot should be able to be controlled, but resistance management issues are something that we always need to keep in mind. La Niña and the more persistent easterly pattern is with us, so we will be spraying more and may well exceed the recommended number of applications. The importance of alternating and mixing of chemistry becomes even more relevant. Talk to your chemical reps as the last thing we need is chemistry that no longer works.
Now that La Niña has well and truly with us, we need to ponder and plan for what that might mean for the remainder of the growing season. At present the soil moisture levels and GDD is significantly up on what we would normally expect, but how about the sunshine hours? It is difficult to find data to compare from previous seasons. However, given that we’ve had significant rainfall and the personal desire to see some sunshine, my gut feeling is lower than average sunshine hours. This is also supported by dairy farmers telling me that there is plenty of grass that needs hardening up for good feed value. It could be worth checking the brix levels in the fruit are meeting the seller’s minimum requirements. So another horticultural conundrum….. pick a little bit early to avoid disease pressure or pick a little bit late to get the sugar levels up?
Parts of Central Otago, especially the Cromwell area is 10-14 days ahead of normal. If this trend continues there will be implications with the cross-over in the selling periods. Last season was good in that the Hawke’s Bay was able to clear a fruit type before Central started.
The labour expo in November was worthwhile- thanks are due to the organisers. It seems to have brought people out of the shadows, including those of the older and younger demographics. With some solid promotion of opportunties via the Handpicked and Opportunity Grows campaigns, the response overall across the Summerfruit regions of Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago has been fantastic and many growers and packers have received far more applications than they would normally expect at this time of year.
For any of the apple growers reading this and who may have under-employed people in January, please consider or encourage them to work January or part of January in Central Otago. This is when the bulk of the export cherry harvest will be and may well tie in with a lull in work in Hawke’s Bay. A bit of caring a sharing might be well appreciated.
Jens Liesebach, KGI Lower North Island Representative
Zespri continues to adopt a multi-faceted approach to address unauthorised SunGold plantings in China, with 4000ha now estimated in the ground. The majority of plantings are located in the Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces in mature orchards (4 plus years old), currently producing around 8,000 trays per hectare and some are producing fruit that is comparable, or exceeds, the Zespri standard. Zespri CEO, Dan Mathieson, has travelled to China to meet with representatives of the Chinese government and industry to discuss a limited due-diligence procurement trial in China. The limited trial, will involve the procurement of up to 200,000 trays of fruit from a small number of selected grower entities.
Zespri will be launching the new Maturity Clearance System early next year. Hawkes’ Bay kiwifruit orchards will have samples collected by Agfirst, Hawke’s Bay. The look and feel of the maturity system will be vastly different to what growers and post harvest providers have become accustomed to, as will the timing around the collection of fruit and release of clearance reports. Zespri will send a link to register for a training session (either in person or online) in early January, along with the link to the system, materials to help get you started, and contact information for the Maturity Support team.
Summer orchard activities are well underway. Male pruning, fruitlet thinning, and vine training is progressing steadily. Strong winds are not helping, but the region has had an extraordinary spell of warm weather, which has pushed fruit size along!
Gisborne authorities have decided a $400,000 per hectare licence to grow gold kiwifruit adds value to the land and have adjusted land valuation methods accordingly. The change means an increase in the Capital Value and Value of Improvements rating value for gold kiwifruit properties. These values are then used for rating purposes, subject to various councils’ rating policies. Property owners were notified of the revaluation changes last week and have until the 29 January to lodge an objection.
2020 has been a rocky year with a lot of curve balls. I hope Christmas will be a time to sit back and relax with family. May Santa bring us plenty of pickers and a fine finish to the growing season.
All the best for 2021.
Alan Pollard, Chief Executive, New Zealand Apples & Pears
The NZAPI team is very busy across all of their respective areas of responsibility.
The most topical and urgent work, unsurprisingly, is around seasonal labour. Five members of the NZAPI team are engaged on this one issue. This year’s apple crop is setting up to be the largest we have seen, a situation also evident with the kiwifruit and stone fruit crops. This is all developing at a time when our primary sources of labour have been severely disrupted by COVID-19.
We would normally expect about 11,000 RSE workers to be available at crucial times in the season – at the moment there are about 6,000 with around 1,000 expected to return home prior to Christmas. We normally expect upwards of 50,000 working holiday visa holders to be in NZ – there are around 13,000 with a proportion of those available to us. And finally, New Zealand’s unemployment rate has not hit the heights projected, and is likely to peak at 7.7% in the second quarter of 2021.
Changes offering flexibility for RSE and WHV holders were welcome, but do not solve the labour problem.
We know without any doubt that if we take labour demand, and subtract from that the available labour supply from New Zealanders, and RSE’s and WHV’s/SSE’s still in NZ, there will be a large labour deficit at our peak times.
Myself and the CEO’s of NZ Kiwifruit Growers, Summerfruit NZ and Horticulture NZ have co-authored a submission to Ministers O’Connor (Agriculture), Faafoi (Immigration) and Sepuloni (Social Development) outlining the case for bridging the labour deficit by bringing RSE workers back into NZ. We met with those Ministers in Wellington on 11 November, and had a positive full and frank discussion about the situation as it currently stands. We expect to receive feedback from those Ministers in the next few days. I will continue to liaise with the HBFA executive as matters progress.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her Cabinet appointments last week, with Ministers sworn in last Friday. Those appointments most impacting our industry include: Hon Damien O’Connor retains Agriculture and picks up Trade and Export Growth; Hon Carmel Sepuloni retains Social Development and picks up Employment; Hon Kris Faafoi retains Immigration; Hon Stuart Nash picks up Economic and Regional Development; Ayesha Verrall picks up Food Safety; Hon David Parker retains Environment; and Hon Nanaia Mahuta picks up Foreign Affairs. As most of the key portfolios have been retained by Ministers, this is an advantage as we seek to build on the relationships that we have formed in the previous government.
Spring conditions to date have remained favourable for growing fruit overall, although most of us would have preferred a little less rainfall this week! Despite the heavy rainfall, reports of significant damage to orchards are low and soils appear to have coped reasonably well with the surplus water.
There has been no shortage of media coverage on the imminent labour crisis in recent weeks, both good and bad. Whilst our industry bodies are working hard on the issue, progress has been painfully slow and time is fast running especially for summerfruit growers. Your Association is here to support you at times like this. Our Executive Officer, Dianne and the Executive Committee will endeavour to do whatever we can to assist so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need help or have suggestions. I have been in contact with industry leaders here in Hawke’s Bay and across the country, all of whom are fully aware of the crisis that could soon unfold.
Some Government ministers don’t seem to understand our industry dynamics and labour supply challenges as well as others, and this has not helped the situation. Ministers met with horticulture sector representatives again this week to present the latest industry submission on seasonal labour needs, including proposals that will allow much needed RSE workers into the country before Christmas. I sincerely hope that the submission proposals are accepted by our Government, after all it was the Government that highlighted the important role horticulture plays in New Zealand’s economic recovery. Please look out for updates from HBFA as we may organise grower meeting in the near future.
Best wishes
Richard Pentreath
Richard Mills, Summerfruit NZ Market Support
Cherry harvest is underway, as is the early nectarine, MayGlo. To date the growing degree days (as of 26th Oct) are as good as they have been in the last five seasons. Whilst we are getting a few very warm days, it’s the evenings that seem to be keeping the units collected high. I remember years ago having a whole paddock load of seedling tomatoes frosted in their trays at labour weekend, but I just don’t see that happening this season. This is only one man’s opinion and I have been wrong before, but it’s a good start to producing the high-quality fruit that got good consumer feedback last season!
Again, the labour conundrum is perplexing me with many of my contacts thinking they are OK but taking a wait and see attitude. Stonefruit thinning is well underway, some with big jobs and some only needing a touch up, and no-one has yet to comment that they are not getting the job done. The usual comments about the locals not turning up is there, and the elephant in the Summerfruit room is the size of the apple thinning job. We wait and see, and cross fingers and toes that the Government will see sense very soon. Richard Palmer, Summerfruit NZ’s Chief Executive has been investing a significant amount of time, along with the rest of the Wellington-based team to. If you require labour, please register your interest at https://worktheseasons.co.nz/horticulture to tap into the university students who will be becoming available soon.
The crops are looking good apart from the occasional light bit here and there ( apricots and plums mainly) with no issues for cherries, peaches and nectarines.
The SummerGreen meeting on the 21st of October had 30 plus attendees and a good chat over a beer afterwards. Topics covered included high producing systems from standard plantings and traditional vase shape, to a modified Y-trellis. We have seen the FOPS style promoted, so it was good to see what other systems are being used. A presentation on the data insights that can be extracted from drones was intriguing and the software is only going to get better with time. It’s always a privilege to be able to go onto someone else’s orchard and critic what they are doing.
Carpophilus beetles should be out and about by now and will be attracted to any ripe or ripening fruit. Obviously, cherries are the first candidates but soft fruits such as berries will also be a target. We are also suspicious of fruit that has been dumped outdoors and attracts the beetles as it decomposes. Your orchard hygiene and that of the surrounding areas will be an important part of control. I guess that there are more Carpophilus out there in the fruit growing world than we realise – if you don’t measure you don’t know. Please refer to the SummerGreen Manual on the Summerfruit portal – I’m happy to help you get into the Portal if you have forgotten your password.
Summerfruit NZ in conjunction with the Agchem merchants, are offering a free one-year subscription to the HortPlus electronic spray diary – SprayLog. If you are interested please contact me 021 632559 or email richard.mills@summerfruitnz.co.nz.
Jens Liesebach, KGI Lower North Island Representative
Flowering in Gold blocks was early and compact. Bees are starting to fly in green blocks. As I write this summary, the Napier area has just been affected by a 1 in 150 year rain event. The rural area coped well with the first downpour on Monday and the soil was filled to field capacity. Hopefully, this downpour has not affected green pollination, plant health or orchard access too much. Prior to this rain event, walks through orchards had already shown increased signs of PSA. These signs are a good reminder to be vigilant with the protection of plants. Canopy work and male pruning should ideally be completed before the fruit sensitive time starts.
Since kiwifruit export can be limited by the presence of chemical residues or pests, Zespri has developed a new standard that requires all KPIN’s to be registered for pest monitoring with a certified Pest Monitoring Centre by 1 December. If you were previously registered, you will still need to re-register for the 2021 season.
Special thanks go to Richard Pentreath, who represented the Hawke’s Bay and Lower North Island kiwifruit growers at the NZKGI forum for the last 4 years. Richard invested a lot of time and commitment, encouraging participation from us all in order to drive the industry forward. I will aim to continue this momentum and to introduce myself to you over the next few weeks. If you like to discuss any issue prior to that please pick up the phone and ring me on 021 2733 685.
Growers are invited to join Zespri at the next roadshow at The Crown Hotel on Wednesday, 25 November at 9 am. I am looking forward seeing you there.
Bis bald (see you soon).
Protect
The ‘Pick the Bay’ employment expo was a huge success with over 500 people pouring through the doors at Toitoi Hawke’s Bay Arts and Events Centre, eager to find out more about job opportunities in the horticulture.
Hastings District Council partnered with New Zealand Apples and Pears Inc, local government colleagues, MSD, MPI, MBIE, industry trainers and representative groups and in excess of 20 growers, to help support the sectors with the current shortage of workers for this harvest season. The stands at the event had information about summer work opportunities in the industry – from picking to forklift driving and working in the packhouse – to longer-term career opportunities. It is likely another expo will be held before harvest commences for the pipfruit industry early in 2021.
Rain, rain go away!
The recent 237mm of rain that fell in Napier was the 2nd wettest day on record (since records began in 1870). The region had 423% of the November normal in a single day, with the wettest hour on record (since 1995) being 54 mm between 5-6pm!
The recent flooding is a timely reminder for growers to check drainage systems, clean out tile drains, check and clear culverts. Please contact the respective councils bodies if their drains need to be improved, cleared or dug out:
Hawkes Bay Regional Council, info@hbrc.govt.nz, 06 835 9200
Hastings District Council, customerservice@hdc.govt.nz, 06 871 5000
Alternatively, contact HBFA at executiveofficer@hbfa.co.nz and we will compile a list and provide this to the appropriate Councils.
Industry websites providing employment opportunities
Horticulture New Zealand has recently compiled a list of industry websites to assist job seekers and employers to connect and engage potential job opportunities:
www.connected.govt.nz
Connected is a MSD site established post-Covid and is a one-stop-shop for job-seekers to find work, employers to find support or staff, and information about post-Covid government initiatives.
gohorticulture.co.nz
A free job board listing permanent horticulture positions from entry level to senior roles. The GoHort website promotes career pathway opportunities in horticulture and is supported by a job platform, offering insights to the variety of positions and internships available.
worktheseasons.co.nz
Work the Seasons is free for employers to list seasonal roles such as harvest, packhouse or thinning work. Work the Seasons is the ‘go-to’ site for listing seasonal horticultural roles, and is backed by industry and government, to help fill seasonal vacancies.
www.picktiki.nz
A new initiative targeted at students, Pick Tiki sets out to encourage more students to complete seasonal work this summer through new targeted marketing channels. GAP registered employers can sign-up to the program for free.
Foster
The team at HBFA are busy working towards our annual Industry Awards Night on the 28th January. We are really looking forward to this event and celebrating the achievements of our valued industry personal and students.
On Tuesday 10th November our fruit industry partnered with the Hastings District Council to have our first ever employment expo – ‘Pick The Bay’. A tremendous turn-out with people from all demographics looking at employment opportunities. Many saying they were keen to help our industry get through our high season workload, predominantly thinning and harvesting our local produce. All sectors were represented – pipfruit, stonefruit, berries, labour contracting companies and education providers such as EIT and of course HBFA. It was fantastic to see so many people unite together for the collective goal of seeing our industry and region prosper.
Training programmes are starting to wind up as we get closer to Christmas. We have some outstanding young talent coming through our sector, in what has been a record year for enrollments.
Trainee News
I write this as Napier is recovering from the flood on Monday. Even though some of my colleagues have been affected, the damage appears to be very localised and EIT is open for business as usual. This year has been challenging to say the least and the weather is not helping the trainees to complete their work because of the demands of spraying. We will do our best to accommodate this, but please be aware that we also have institutional deadlines that need to be met.
The year 1 trainees have one class left for the year and that is thinning. I know Clare has been busy making visits and attendance at the tutorials has been good. Most still have the irrigation assessment to complete. The cohort who started in July on the Apprentice Boost scheme have just completed their First Aid course. I looked in and they were having a fun learning experience.
The year 2 trainees have had the most disruptions to their timetable with Covid-19 and staff illness. To this end there is a rescheduled class this Friday that is not on the original timetable. Last week I spent some time with those in class making sure they know exactly what they need to do. If they have not been giving their workbooks for sign-off, please check with them. Pruning and thinning practicals are areas that should be able to be attested.
The year 3 trainees also only have the one class left. Most of them are in a good position to complete their Level 4 Certificates. One of subjects they should be asking about is your irrigation scheduling methods and understanding the printouts to make important decisions. The next class is the Growing Environment class on the 27th of November.
Fruit Production Diploma classes are all but complete and the first intake should graduate in January. The last piece of work for them is occurring on the 26th of November when they report back to the class on their research projects. Having marked the written reports I believe there have been significant improvements to the industry body of knowledge. For that reason I am very pleased with the outcomes of this course.
Cameron Taylor from TaylorCorp , recently won Horticulturalist of the Year 2020 at the Napier Port HB Primary Sector Awards. In conjunction with EIT Hawke’s Bay and Horticentre , Taylor Corp are hosting a field day on the 19th November. A great opportunity to check out their technology, packhouse and orchard operations. There will be two site visits- TaylorCorp’s new plantings at 574 Valley Road at 12pm and then a visit to their very modern packhouse at 38 Franklin Rd at 2pm.
For further information, please contact EIT Tutor Gordon Reid on greid@eit.ac.nz or 06 8301851.
Promote
2020 Fishing Competition
We had amazing weather and another fantastic turnout for this years HBFA Fishing Competition on the 2nd of November!
Many thanks to all of our fishing competition contestants and our incredible sponsors and supporters. Your participation and contribution in this annual competition, is what makes the event so successful!
Prize winners for the heaviest catches of the day:
Snapper: James Barclay
Kingfish: Sharon Island
Gurnard: Ryan Downing
Groper/bass: Liam Sykes
Kahawhai: Dave Craft
Tarakihi: John Agnew
Blue Cod: Sam Franklin
Red Cod: Matt Waterworth
Barracouta/Gemfish: Alex Wilson
Mackeral: Johnny Swinbanks
Trevally: Mark Vesty
Skate/Ray: Danie Henderson
Industry Awards Night
We are now focusing on our annual Industry Awards Night, which will take place on the 28th of January at the Toitoi Hawke’s Bay Arts and Events Centre. This event recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the horticultural industry, along with celebrating the horticulture student graduating from both EIT Hawke’s Bay and Primary ITO.
We are seeking nominations for the Joe Bell Trophy for outstanding service to the industry, as well as the Fourneau Trophy, for innovation in the hort sector. If you know someone deserving of recognition in our industry and fits the criteria, for either of these trophies, please contact executiveofficer@hbfa.co.nz for a nomination form or visit our website for more information.
Attention Horticulture Students – HBFA Horticulture Scholarships Closing Soon!
If you are currently studying L3-4 horticulture, or pursuing your Diploma or Degree in horticulture at the EIT or Primary ITO, APPLY NOW for your chance to receive one of the HBFA Horticulture Scholarships. We have made it easy for you to do so via our on-line application form. For further details and to complete the on-line application form, visit https://hbfa.co.nz/hbfa-charitable-trust/. Applications close 5pm 26th of November.
