Wairoa Mayor: Road upgrades between Napier and Wairoa will boost safety and accessibility
The road between Napier and Wairoa is on the mend.
Sixty five percent of NZ's apple crop is grown in Hawke's Bay and 4,000 hectares - or about half the total crop grown in the region - has been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.
NZ Apples and Pears market access manager Danielle Adsett told Hort News, while her organisation is not involved in the marketing of apples, it's been assured by exporters that the expected lower crop is being carefully managed.
NZ apples are sold to almost 70 countries around the world - with China being our largest market. However, only 13% of NZ's total crops is sold there. Vietnam has, in a matter of years, risen from 13th to become our 3rd largest market.
Adsett says Asia is obviously a focus for NZ as the middle class in those countries grows. Taiwan and Japan are also up-and-coming markets.
"The fact is that NZ produces the best apples in the world because of our growing systems and climate," she told Hort News. "As such, we are able to offer a premium product."
Adsett says, in sustainability terms, NZ has already done an awful lot but hasn't really told the story about our low carbon footprint and our quality orchard management practices. She says, on a per hectare basis, the NZ apple sector is highly productive compared with others.
She adds the other big change is the image of the sector and how it's portrayed.
"Many people perceive it to be a manual labour industry with a focus on picking and pruning trees. But this is so far from the truth," says Adsett.
"The job has definitely changed and we have seen that in the orchards and the packhouses. We have stories about some of our members bringing in people from the job seeker benefit into their packhouse who are now running their multi-million dollar technology."
She says the industry has absolutely changed and is all about technology and exciting innovation, with great jobs on offer.
Adsett concedes that while many people are trying to be optimistic about the future, the reality for many is heartbreaking.
"Trees remain covered in silt; the ground is wet and people are doing their best to support each other in very difficult times."
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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