Season
The 2024-2025 season is now all but over. While most growers are reporting favourable yields and good quality, I am aware that orchard gate returns are tracking below expectations for some, which is obviously something we will continue to monitor.
Next week, the Board and I will be in Central Otago for our March meeting. We're eager to connect with growers to gain firsthand insights into the season and will be hosting an informal catch-up in Alexandra on the early evening of Tuesday 25 March. Details will be emailed directly, but please don't hesitate to reach out if you don't receive them.
Recent conversations have revealed a generally positive sentiment, coupled with concerns regarding current market dynamics and the lingering effects of post-Covid inflation. However, the recent trend of interest rates moving favourably is a welcome development.
Conference
This year’s conference is in Blenheim on 25-26 June. The first day is in the field with ‘kick the dirt’ while the second day comprises a carefully curated range of local and international speakers. Both evenings also offer great opportunities to catch up with fellow growers and others in the industry https://forumpoint2.eventsair.com/summerfruit-new-zealand-conference-2025/
Recognising the importance of grower engagement, the Board has further subsidised conference registration, setting the early bird price for growers at $395. This represents a significant opportunity to benefit from the valuable insights offered by our impressive speaker lineup and planned site visits. We hope to see a strong turnout.
SummerGreen
SummerGreen 2025 begins with the first round of updates on 1 April in Hawke’s Bay and 3 April in Central Otago. These sessions will cover a range of key topics, including a:
- commercial analysis of Future Orchard Planting Systems (FOPS)
- update from Andrew Curtis on his irrigation research
- review and update on the recent Oriental fruit fly incursion
- collaborative round table discussion to gather your valuable input on Summerfruit NZ’s future research and development programme.
At these SummerGreen events, we will also be discussing for the first time the summerfruit commodity levy proposal. Between April and August, when voting takes place, growers will have plenty of opportunities to provide feedback to the Board and management on the draft proposal.
We really want to hear your views so we can be sure that the final proposal accurately reflects what growers want from Summerfruit NZ.