Ngāi Tukairangi Trust shows off recovery

The Trust has orchard operations in four regions across the country, the largest of which is situated near Hastings. It also has orchards in Northland and the Bay of Plenty at Matapehi - the latter is just a matter of a few kilometres from the centre of Tauranga city.

The Hastings operation consists of 106ha of mostly G3 kiwifruit, but there is also an apple orchard where Rockit and Envy apples are grown. The kiwifruit operations are unique in that they are entirely covered by overhead cloth and this is the largest area of overhead shelter in NZ.

Guests were welcomed onto Waipatu Marae by Ngāti Kahungunu, and then heard presentations from Ngāi Tukairangi trustees and staff about the operation. They were also shown photographs of the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle and how Ngāi Tukairangi is planning to repair this.

After hearing the presentations, those attending the field day had the option of going by bus to the Tukituki apple orchard, which was not damaged by the cyclone or the Korokipo kiwifruit orchard which was damaged.

At Korokipo, visitors could see repairs being made to the stop bank on the Ngaruruoro river, which breached its banks and flooded the property and completely covered the vines. While a part of the orchard close to the river was badly hit, other parts survived - despite the vines being covered in floodwaters. It's estimated that 75% of this year's kiwifruit crop at Korokipo was lost in the floods.

At the apple orchard at Tukituki, visitors saw some amazing innovation and technology in operation - including picking platforms run by solar power and spraying equipment designed to reduce spray drift. Ngāi Tukairangi chair Ratihi Cross says the field day was a great success and he was pleased with the massive turnout.

He told Hort News it was great to see support from local iwi, as well as a good cross section of industry people. Cross says given the damage suffered at the Heretaunga orchards, putting the field day together was no easy task. He added that because of being such a large organisation, they are able to bring in staff from other centres to help.

"In one way, we were also lucky because there was virtually no silt left in the orchard because of the high velocity of the water and that will help us get production back to around 80% next season," Cross says.

"When you look at the orchard, you can actually feel the damage in a spiritual sense. Therre is a spiritual affinity with humans and natural disasters."