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).
