Trade exhibitors will be travelling to Hawke's Bay from as far south as Timaru, with many travelling from further north, especially Auckland.
This year's National Horticultural Field Days will again feature the popular BNZ Seminar Series, bringing together leading researchers and scientists, key decision-makers and industry identities, who are committed to growing the industry.
Organisers are delighted that their objective for the field days to be used as an information transfer vehicle to help grow the industry is being realised, with another line-up of high-calibre speakers appearing.
Alongside the BNZ Seminar Series, Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers Association will be well represented with its Hawke's Bay Young Fruitgrower of the Year Competition.
The Gifford Devine Art Competition and the Pick a Career in Horticulture Expo also are taking place this year.
About 3000 people attended the field days last year and organisers are excited that the efforts made to develop new initiatives and industry relationships are having a significant impact on the growth of the event, and this will flow through to more people visiting. That has a direct effect on everyone involved in the event.
"We have big industry players in full support of this event recognising its place within the industry, increased recognition among fruitgrowers, vegetable growers and viticulturists from all over New Zealand and a fantastic line-up of speakers in the BNZ Seminar Series and 50 per cent more trade sites," says Hamilton. "It's very exciting to see our biggest field days yet come together, and appropriate that a significant event like this is held in Hawke's Bay.
"The event will be noticeably bigger and is getting the recognition is deserves from industry.
Wine spread
Wine industry giant Delegat Group has confirmed the purchase of a major dairying block for vineyard development west of Hastings.
The $29.3 million purchase of the 838ha at Crownthorpe was announced by group managing director Graeme Lord. It more than doubles the Delegat landholding in Hawke's Bay ahead of the commission of a new winery with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes of grapes a year being built alongside Hawke's Bay Expressway and opposite the Regional Sports Park.
The land has been bought from Manawatu-based Hopkins Farming Group, which acquired the converted land after buying into Hawke's Bay Dairies in 2002.
The main block of 487ha is at the corner of Crownthorpe and Matapiro roads and adjoins an existing Delegat vineyard. The remaining land, about 350ha, is the Rauriki support block about 5km away.
Milking about 1700 cows, it is part of the 4700ha estate of 11 dairy farms and four dry-stock farms held by Hopkins Farming Group, established over the past 50 years by John and Elaine Hopkins.
Lord says the purchase will settle in May 2016, and planting is intended to begin in the following year, aimed at lifting production from 2020.
The company is in a five-year phase aimed at increasing production from about 2 million cases last year to 3 million in 2019, and Lord says the new purchase is about further growth to 2020 and beyond.
He says the land has the potential to produce more than 550,000 9-litre cases of wine a year when producing fully.
Monitor talks
A field day at Beef+Lamb NZ monitor farm Anawai will be held on Monday, May 18. It starts at the woolshed at the farm off Kahuranaki Rd, Elsthorpe, at 10am and finishes about 4pm.
Speakers will be Derrick Moot (Lincoln University) on lucerne, Richard Scholefield (Whangara Farms and B+LNZ demonstration farmer) on plantain, Michael White (Ravensdown) on the economics of capital fertiliser, Scott Champion (B+LNZ chief executive) on where our industry is going, and Craig Hickson (Progressive Meats) on market outlooks.
Those attending will need side-by-side, quad or two-wheel bikes (helmets compulsory and only one rider per quad), plus a packed lunch.
Footrot-free?
It sounds like heaven, but New Zealand is a hoof or two closer to eradicating footrot through the use of genetics, says the NZ Merino Company (NZM).
A joint project of NZM and the Ministry for Primary Industries is using genetic testing to identify fine-wool sheep resistant to footrot, and researchers are close to developing a simple test so growers can eliminate footrot using selective breeding.
It is estimated that footrot costs New Zealand's fine wool sector up to $10 million each year. NZM chief executive John Brakenridge says finding a way to reduce footrot in fine wool flocks would significantly improve the sector's profitability.
NZM production science manager Mark Ferguson says: "We're making encouraging progress."
Upskilling for growth
Applications are open to any young Kiwi farmers, graziers, station managers, students and agronomists for one of 25 places in an agriculture business scholarship programme run by Countdown's parent company, Woolworths Limited.
In its ninth year, the Woolworths Agricultural Business Scholarship Programme is an industry-supported course that provides insight into all aspects of the food chain from the producer to the supermarket.
A number of New Zealand candidates have been successful in entering the scholarship scheme over the years, including last year's intake.
Kiwi participant Erica van Reenen, from Beef+Lamb NZ, says of the 2014 programme: "Learning about the differences and similarities between New Zealand and Australian production systems from people on the ground, who all had different and interesting views on the future of farming, was useful and rewarding."
The 12-day course offers participants the opportunity to gain a broad, practical and academic perspective on the business of agriculture from key industry leaders and senior Woolworths managers.
Participants must be available to attend the entire course from Monday, August 24 to Friday, September 4, 2015, in Sydney.
Interested applicants should look at woolworths.com.au/scholarship. Applications are open now and close on Monday, May 25.
