Growers count cost of Cylone Dovi
Crops at the point of being harvested now on the ground
The strong winds that lashed the country this month have caused significant damage to some kiwifruit and avocado orchards in the Bay of Plenty.
Cyclone Dovi caused flooding, downed trees and cut power to homes.
Bay of Plenty orchardist Hugh Moore said some avocado trees were completely uprooted by the wind, while others had lost branches full of fruit.
Another orchardist in the area, Mark Hume, from Hume Pack-n-cool, said it was a significant wind event.
“It was very forceful.
“It took out a lot of power; a lot of trees came down over power wires and stuff, and a lot of orchards got sort of pretty wrapped around, especially the young ones,” he said.
“Young gold kiwifruit orchards with poles up, all the poles have been knocked over, he said.
“But that’s horticulture, we’ll get up and go again. It’s not good, but that’s life.
“If there’s less kiwifruit hopefully the prices go up. That’ll make up for the damage,” Hume said.
New Zealand Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular said the
It was very forceful. It took out a lot of power; a lot of trees came down over power wires and stuff, and a lot of orchards got sort of pretty wrapped around, especially the young ones. Mark Hume
industry had already been facing a difficult season, with softer demand in some export markets leaving growers struggling to get break-even prices.
Scoular said sadly the large volume of fruit that had fallen on the ground would not be salvageable, partly because of food safety but also because much of it would be bruised.
“I had one grower who thought they’d lost half of their crop, which was ready to be harvested between now and April and other growers who have a lot of the new season fruit on the ground as well,” she said.
“So the wind just ripped around trees.
“We’ve certainly had big branches come off trees and smaller trees being ripped up, so real damage for avocado growers.”
Scoular said New Zealand Avocado could provide technical advice to growers including things they could do to try and nurse wind-damaged trees back to health.
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