increase font size
As the apple industry faces a labour crisis, there is a lot of talk about technology playing a role in harvesting crops.
However Apple and Pear NZ chief executive Alan Pollard reckons this is 10-15 years away. He says there is a move to introduce elevator platforms, which means that people who might have physical challenges can come into orchards because they don’t have to climb up and down ladders.
“There is work being done on robotic harvesting, but this is a bigger challenge for apples than kiwifruit,” he told Rural News.
“An apple tree you will pick three or four times, and you have to make a judgement on the colour, so you just can’t strip a tree,” Pollard explained. “The technology to do this is challenging and it means that a grower has to change the whole structure and layout of the orchard to fit the new technology.”
At present, apple trees are three dimensional. However, to meet the needs of technology, trees would need to be grown as a two dimensional ‘wall’ and closer together.
Pollard says about 10% of the orchards are being changed over to this system each year, but it will take a long time before all are ready for technology when it arrives.
In the meantime, the industry will continue to rely on a diminishing local labour pool and see if it can get the Government to take a more pragmatic approach to the RSE scheme and allow more overseas workers into NZ.
Pollard says the RSE scheme is highly regarded internationally and is transforming the New Zealand industry and providing much needed aid to Pacific nations.
Building on the success of last year's events, the opportunity to attend People Expos is back for 2025, offering farmers the chance to be inspired and gain more tips and insights for their toolkits to support their people on farm.
New Zealand’s apple and pear industry has surpassed $1 billion in orchard gate returns (OGR) for the first time.
Brydon Nisbet, the president of Hawke's Bay Fruit Growers Federation, says the mood of growers in Hawke's Bay is quite upbeat because it's been a good season for apples.
OPINION: When we set out to document the economic impact of New Zealand's apple and pear industry, we expected to see a trickle-down effect somewhere along the way.
New Zealand’s apple and pear industry contributes almost $2 billion of total revenue impact to the national economy, according to new research from MartinJenkins.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.
OPINION: In the same way that even a stopped clock is right twice a day, economists sometimes get it right.
OPINION: The proposed RMA reforms took a while to drop but were well signaled after the election.
