Last week Summerfruit NZ Board members
and some of the team (Raj Singh and me) visited a number of Hawke’s Bay growers who have been badly affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. We heard about their experiences with clearing silt and debris from their properties, dealing with the current uncertainty about what recovery funds might be made available to growers, and their concerns about the long recovery ahead. For the most badly damaged orchards, the road to
full recovery will take years, and growers want the Government and other decision makers to continue to support the sector during the journey.
As part of the ongoing information we are providing to the Government about the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, we are in the process of sending out a supplementary survey to our growers in the Hawke’s Bay to collect data relating to cyclone damage. This survey will be sent as a direct email, and responses are due by 21 April. I encourage Hawke’s Bay growers to complete this survey so we can provide accurate information about the scale of damage to the Hawke’s Bay summerfruit sector.
Summerfruit NZ is holding a grower meeting on Friday 21 April at 1pm at Green Shed, 21 Ruahapia Road, with a focus on grower wellbeing and orchard recovery. We are finalising the agenda and will send the det
ails in a direct email to Hawke’s Bay growers. I hope to see many of you there.
I’d like to thank all the growers who hosted us during our visit.
