A new all-of-government factsheet has been released that covers:
– Government funding available and how to access it
– Contact details for sector
– Waste removal including silt, posts/wire and wood waste
– Mental health support
Click the following link to access the full document – 2023 Recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawke’s Bay FS (17 MARCH)
Kia ora koutou,
The devastation wreaked by Cyclone Gabrielle has been shocking. Our hearts go out to those who have lost their homes, crops, livelihoods, health and loved ones, this has shaken us all.
The EIT campus was flooded, and this has caused us a myriad of problems. We have been in at campus for two weeks sweeping silt/sludge to be able to lift the carpets. Builders are now in removing gib and drying it out, and have shut down access. It is unlikely that we will be able to work from Taradale until July at the earliest. The important news is that we will be continuing our programs as timetabled – but locations have yet to be finalised. Some classes will be in the Hastings Learning Centre – we will keep students updated by text. Please remind them to let us know if their number has changed. Our online platform, Moodle, is also down – if students need access to any course material just ask them to contact the tutor or myself directly.
Kia kaha, kia māia kia manawanui,
Clare B
We are now 5 weeks on from the destructive cyclone that changed the landscape of our industry in a moment but will impact us for years to come. I still haven’t gone and seen all the worst affected areas yet as I’ve been busy getting to grips with my own orchard damage and trying to harvest fruit.
I’ve been encouraged by the huge support our local community has provided, they have rallied around our industry and helped in so many ways. I’m aware of people pitching in to clean out flooded homes and garages, stand up fences, remove debris, scrape away silt from around tree trunks and remove river weed, slash and flood damaged fruit off trees. The task at hand is daunting but our community has helped us get started. I must also mention the groups of people who have been driving around distributing meals, food, and water – all your support is very much appreciated.
Our growers are banding together in a way I haven’t seen before – whether it be smaller growers, larger growers or corporates, the willingness to support one another is very special. This will help unite and strengthen our industry as we set a new vision for our industry to “Grow Back Better”.
In my capacity as President of HBFA, I’m involved with a Task Force that is developing and recommending a framework that government can adopt to inform the distribution of additional cyclone support. As you will appreciate this is a complex body of work, but I’m encouraged by the constructive, pragmatic and proactive approach that the Task Force is taking on behalf of all of us who have sustained damage from Cyclone Gabrielle.
The road ahead will be a long one, but it’ll be easier if you share the journey. I’d encourage all of you to keep talking to your neighbours, your friends and family. Don’t try and do it all on your own. I’d also remind you that The Association is only a phone call away – come to our events and stay connected.
Kia kaha,
Brydon Nisbet
HBFA President
I tried to draw a diagram the other day to capture the different organisations and agencies involved in our region’s recovery efforts. I nearly ran out of room on the A4 page I was using – there are so many moving parts (and acronyms).
One of the key roles for HBFA through this recovery process is to understand the issues our members are confronting and to advocate for you across all the different stakeholders on that crazy diagram. For us to be effective in representing you, we need you to share your information/issues/concerns – please don’t be afraid to contact me directly with anything you would like us to focus on (of if you’d just like to vent!).
Another key area for us will continue to be fostering a sense of community and wellbeing. As Brydon mentioned, the road ahead will be easier if you share the load. Over the coming weeks and months, we plan to organise a number of informal events to bring people together and encourage you all to get involved. We do however realise that social gatherings are not for everyone, and some people may prefer to reach out more directly for someone to chat to. If you or anyone you know is feeling overwhelmed and would like to speak to someone please don’t hesitate to contact the Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 524. Please also remember that The Association has engaged Wanda Douglas to provide free and confidential psychological support to our members and their families. Wanda is a Registered Psychologist with the NZ Psychologists’ Board. She is based locally in Taradale and can be contacted on 021 1700 506.
We continue to pursue support for our Industry Recovery Fund which has now exceeded $100K thanks to generous contributions from across the industry and the general population. The fund is already financing our wellbeing initiatives and is also being used to support technical advice for impacted growers. If you have any questions about the fund and or its distribution, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Alongside financial support we have also received numerous messages of encouragement for those of you who have been impacted. You can read these here https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/our-growers-need-your-support.
Take care and keep in touch,
Dean
027 233 9900
With so many people across our horticultural community impacted by the Cyclone, our immediate focus needs to be on rebuilding businesses and livelihoods. For this reason, the HBFA committee has decided to postpone our 2023 YFOTY competition. We hope this gives businesses, growers and students some additional time to focus on the immediate issues at hand.
The committee did consider a cancellation of the 2023 event, however, there was unanimous agreement that it should proceed. It was noted that some of our young horticulturists are feeling uncertain about the future of their studies and their careers in our industry – we see the staging of the 2023 Young Fruit Grower of the Year as a way to address these concerns by sending a strong signal that the industry is getting back on its feet.
The new date for the event is the 10/11 August, and we look forward to working with our contestants, judges and sponsors to make it a big success.
It you have any questions about the event, please don’t hesitate to email marketing@hbfa.co.nz
I’ve rewritten this piece a few times and it always seems trite considering what significant parts of the industry have been through and continue to deal with. So, lets keep this short and to the point.
From the Summerfruit perspective what has changed and what do we know?
Despite all this there could be more fruit on the NZ market than there was last season, because of the low fruit set last season and trees responding with a full bloom this spring. Big fruit set then a big fruit drop and hand thinning bills is a possible scenario.
There were a couple of lessons learned from a localized flooding event in Central Otago three seasons ago where trees were in standing water for up to three days:
Spring is not so far away with early flowering apricots due in August. This is when we will begin to know what next season holds. To paraphrase John Wilton, ‘the best fertilizer for the orchard is the footsteps of the manager’. Observing the blocks regularly, with a consultant, or rep or fellow grower will, in my opinion, be hugely valuable. Make some notes.
What say we have a few small gatherings and share experiences of a difficult season, Cyclone recovery and blooms on trees in spring. My shout.
Richard Mills
Summerfruit Technical Advisor
021 632559
Here’s my contribution, with February’s monthly rainfall compared to normal and Bridge Pa’s soil moisture levels attached.
Ex-tropical cyclone Gabrielle broke rainfall records as an individual event and was the crescendo to a pattern of weather that continues to break records. February’s rainfall was higher than previously recorded at almost all our rain gauge sites, so too summer rainfall. That’s not surprising when January’s rainfall was 400% above normal and February’s rainfall was about 500% above normal. There were a few spots, such as Glengarry, where the month’s rainfall was 900% above normal. It’s all part of a run of at least 7 months of wetter than usual weather.
February’s river flows exceeded normal flows for the time year by more than 1000%. Groundwater levels were at record highs for the month and our soil moisture sites were saturated. February’s soil temperature was below average and ended the month on 19⁰C on the Plains. Air temperatures were colder than usual during the day and warmer than usual during the night, which is to be expected when the skies are blanketed with cloud.
It seems the La Niña is over – we have gone into neutral conditions. I feel like shouting it from the rooftops because it’s given us such a hard road. The effects may linger a little longer but seasonal forecast models look more varied in their predictions. Some models suggest drier than normal conditions over the next three months and others normal rainfall or wetter than usual. We’ll settle for near normal rainfall. Sea level pressure is predicted to be lower to the northeast of New Zealand and higher to the south so our winds could have a southerly component to them, though temperatures are still expected to be relatively warm compared to normal.
There is the prospect of an El Niño developing later in the year and the region facing weather completely opposite to what we’ve endured for months on end.
Percentage of Normal Rainfall
Dr Kathleen Kozyniak
Principal Scientist Air
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council
It’s been a month since Cyclone Gabrielle made her way down the East Coast & affected many livelihoods in the Hawke’s Bay region. We have been head-down in disaster recovery mode for the last 4 weeks, prioritising the clean up blocks that can be salvaged, clearing access into properties, and prioritising the removal of silt where it is likely to impact tree health.
As we get used to our new normal, our attention is starting to shift. We need to be prioritising the removal of fruit from trees that can’t be commercially harvested. The sooner we relieve the pressure on the already highly stressed root systems, the sooner we can optimise the rate of photosynthesis to drive vegetative and root health. This will enhance post-harvest bud quality for the sake of next season’s crop (both yields and quality). Replenishing the trees reserves should be carried out as soon as practicable, and for many of our non-harvestable crops, now is the time we should be prioritising post-harvest care.
Protecting the trees from disease pressure, such as phytophthora should also be a key focus. NZAPI will be releasing some guidelines on best practice Phytophthora management in the next few days.
The sooner phytophthora preventative management is taken, the more effective the results. We won’t know the true impacts the flooding will have on phytophthora pressures until next season, so it’s essential we do all we can now to protect our flood affected canopies.
NZAPI have been working hard with the Industry to help give clarity in these challenging times, producing decision matrices and information bulletins to help growers make the best-informed decisions for their blocks including:
• Flood soil assessment
• Silt Decision Tree
• Orchard Survey
These resources can all be found on the NZAPI website: http://www.applesandpears.nz/Floods/Technical_and_Crop_Advice
The impact of Cyclone Gabrielle is immeasurable and has disproportionately impacted the horticultural community. Large numbers of people have experienced trauma, lost their homes, their jobs and their livelihoods. This is a lifechanging event for many.
The Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Charitable Trust has set up a fund to provide assistance to those in need. All contributions will be used to address immediate wellbeing needs and to provide longer term pastoral care to assist in getting people back on their feet.
Donations can be made via our Givalittle page
Or directly to the Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers Association Charitable Trust.
Account no. 02 0644 0280677 00
Please email manager@hbfa.co.nz for more information or to request a receipt.
In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle there is obviously a mountain of work required to restore the productive capacity of impacted orchards. The elephant in the room is how this will be funded.
We have had an initial announcement from government around a $25m fund to kick-start efforts to remove silt and support the clean-up. This fund provides for a pay out of up-to $2K/Ha to a maximum of $40K. This is a modest but positive start and I recommend all of those impacted to apply if you haven’t already. It’s a very quick process and we are hearing in many cases that funds are arriving the next day. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions around the application process.
As you can appreciate, everyone is scrambling to assist the recovery, and this includes government. This is leading to some ambiguity in messaging, and we’ve received several queries about why the current fund is capped at $40K/grower. While not formally announced, MPI staff have verbally advised us that if you have more than 20 hectares impacted, you should include this in the application – there are no guarantees that you will receive the full amount but there is potential for larger pay-outs.
As an Association, we are feeding into numerous channels to lobby for you and these efforts will be ongoing. We appreciate the serious financial implications for many, and will be doing all we can to add weight to the conversations our product groups and HortNZ are having with government on your behalf. A key message from us is the time-critical nature of what is required – we need decision makers to realise that big decisions need to be made quickly.
