Drought threatens fruit and veges
Droughts are threatening the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables on shopping shelves.
The dry weather during early summer forced some growers to make hard calls about which plants and trees they would plant or harvest as they watched crops fail.
Water shortages during dry periods have got so grim for growers that Horticulture New Zealand has begun campaigning for storing more water in dams.
HortNZ president Julian Raine was on the brink of turning the tap off some of his apple crop on his Nelson orchard not so long ago. ‘‘Ironically it’s raining ... but up until 10 days ago I was in dire straits as I was going to have to choose which apple varieties to keep and which to turn the water off on.’’
Raine said plant casualties would have driven up higher fruit and vegetable prices if rain had not arrived but gaps in autumn supplies of vegetables could be expected.
‘‘For the consumer, it’s a bit like when it’s so wet we can’t harvest, and there are shortages. The same thing applies when we can’t plant - there are shortages, and the price of produce goes up. People ask ‘why did the price go up?’ It’s quite simple - there is not enough supply to meet the demand.’’
He was not the only grower feeling the pressure. ‘‘Because of the water restrictions my neighbour, a local vegetable grower, had thrown away plants rather than plant them because it was so uncertain what the weather was going to do. If further [water] restrictions were applied, he would not have been able to water them, and they would have died . ... He has thrown away 200,000 plants. It was pretty dire here, and I understand it’s still that way in Otago and Southland.’’
HortNZ chief executive Mike Chapman said growers wanted to see a stronger national approach that supported and recognised regions were addressing ways to prevent water shortages.
‘‘Relying on water to fall from the sky simply isn’t enough. HortNZ believes we should be more proactive in capturing and storing that water to ensure sustainability of supply during times of drought.’’
Chapman said the best way to ensure there was enough water to irrigate fruit and vegetable plants was to store it in dams. ‘‘No water means plants die and as a result, fresh fruit and vegetables are unavailable, and prices go up because demand is higher than supply. There are benefits to every New Zealander from having a reliable water supply. But there are inconsistent policies across central and local government when it comes to water, land use, preparing for climate change goals, and community needs.’’
Raine had a water consent, but part of the deal with the regional council was that it could restrict his water access according to the regional plan. That allowed the council to cut his water allocation in stages, and then turn it off completely. ‘‘When it gets down to 50 per cent you have to start making decisions on what you are going to keep alive and what you are going to let die,’’ he said.
Raine said vegetable and fruit shortages had yet to appear, but before it rained growers were on the verge of not having enough product to supply. Because of the rain plants continued to grow, and supply was certain, he said. ‘‘But with vegetables, for example, there will be gaps in the autumn because growers haven’t planted. I don’t know how big those gaps will be.’’
Local authorities were increasingly putting pressure on water supplies, limiting water access for irrigation to grow food, Chapman said.
‘‘HortNZ supports the Waimea Dam in the Tasman district and the proposal for it to be a joint venture with the territorial authorities. This is because there are broad community benefits from the dam in an area that is growing in population, and therefore, has a greater need for water supply for people as well as plants.