New Zealand Apple Industry Enjoys Second Strong Season In A Row
The chief executive of Apples and Pears New Zealand, Danielle Adsett, says fruit quality this year is phenomenal and the sector is hitting crop estimates, which is great for growers.
A major cost in getting farms back in operation is re-fencing, given the cost and availability of fence posts.
Coming to the rescue is a Marlborough company called 'RePost' which specialises in recycling posts.
It's the brainchild of Greg Coppell who runs a sheep and beef farm in Marlborough. For the past three years he's set up a company that recycles posts that get snapped off at the ground in local vineyards.
Rather than just throwing these away, Coppell removes any nails or fittings from the posts and turns them into perfectly good fence posts, which sell for about two thirds less than new posts.
He says he's had a call from the Hawke's Bay Regional Council to come to that district and recycle the posts from wrecked vineyards and orchards.
"Our system is mobile and so we may do this on site at the orchard, but the council has offered us some land where we can operate from," he says.
The initial work will be done in Hawke's Bay, but Coppell says they may also operate in the Gisborne district as well.
Farmgate lamb prices are down by 8%, beef cattle by 4.5% and farm expenditure up by 4.2%.
Kiwifruit growers are watchful but remain optimistic as concerns around the potential effects of the El Niño weather pattern this season.
Almond hulls sourced from Australian orchards may have the potential to help New Zealand cows reduce emissions, boost milk yield and lower input costs.
Striking a balance between meeting the needs of industry to speed up approval time for products but on the other hand ensuring that risks are properly assessed.
Surprised, humbled and quite thrilled. That’s the reaction of James Allen, one of the founding partners and now chief executive of AgFirst, on being made a life member of the Institute of Rural Professionals.

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