"We are all sharing information and working together so we can find out who needs help," Muwunganirwa. says." Fonterra's emergency response team is in action and ringing around its 600 farmers in the central districts. Some farmers are milking through the winter and others are wintering dry cows on the farm, so keeping their stock fed is a top priority. DairyNZ is giving one-on-one advice to those farmers whose pastures are flooded.
"There is already a lot of flood information and advice on our website (dairynz.co.nz). We have learned a lot from helping farmers through other floods, particularly in Northland. Stock losses, power outages, slips, bridges washed away, silt-covered pastures requiring regrassing - there are a range of effects on a farm business.
"Knowing what to do will reduce the immediate impact of the flood and planning strategies to deal with the aftermath will allow for a quicker recovery."
-If farmers are in need or in a position to offer assistance, they can phone 0800 376 844 or contact John Stroud, Federated Farmers Field Officer, on 027 217 6744 or email jstroud@fedfarm.org.nz
Flood-hit farmers with stock needing access to grazing, help with moving stock, emergency feed, generators, large-capacity water pumps or help cleaning up should ring Federated Farmers at 0800 376 844 or the Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254.
Looking ahead
Three winners of the Hawke's Bay Young Fruitgrower of the Year title have banded together to help make sure orcharding is stocked with young people to lead the industry in the future.
The fruit of their endeavours was highlighted when more than 30 people braved the wintry conditions to attend the first Hawke's Bay young orchardists field event, on a Havelock North orchard run by Horticulture NZ board member and former Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers Association chairman Leon Stallard.
Behind the event were 2001 young fruitgrower of the year Chris Treneman, 2013 winner Ben James, and last year's winner, Graeme Hodges, who together enlisted fellow industry aspirants Dillon Green and Vee Puna-Sheridan.
The aim is to form a group designed to prepare "strong network of young orchardists."
to develop our ageing industry" according to the flyer sent to invite people to attend.
A similar group is already established in the Nelson-Marlborough area.
Time to celebrate
Mike McCreary and Liz Casey, of Kumenga Farm in the South Wairarapa, will represent the eastern North Island in the finals of Silver Fern Farms Plate to Pasture Awards.
It is the initiative's second year and SFF communications manager Justin Courtney says: "It has been a good way to celebrate everyone's critical roles in the plate-to-pasture strategy - from producing top quality animals to our role in processing products consumers want, through to how we work with customers and consumers in the global market."
The awards celebrate supplier excellence in lamb, beef, bull, deer and dairy stock, and was judged on stock forwarded last year, using performance data and other critical elements such as presentation, farm assurance, direct supply and supply volume and timing.
The five regional winners will go before a judging panel tasked with finding out how our regional finalists farm with consumers in mind.
The overall plate-to-pasture winner will travel to one of the major overseas markets later in the year.
Scholarship offered
The hunt is on to find one young beef producer to attend the Five Nations Beef Alliance conference and young leaders programme, being held this year in Mexico.
This is the fifth year Beef+Lamb NZ has offered the scholarship to beef career people aged 23 to 32 years, and chief executive Scott Champion says a strong lineup of contenders is expected.
This year's conference and young leaders programme take place in Durango and Mazatlan, Mexico, from October 18 to 23.
Awards extended
The Horticulture New Zealand conference in Rotorua from July 27 to 29 will see more awards added to those already in place in the agricultural and horticultural sectors.
The President's Trophy will celebrate "inspiring leadership" and will encourage those with the commitment to develop as a business leader and successful grower; the Industry Service Award is aimed at those who have served the industry in ways other than being a grower; Hort NZ's own Bledisloe Cup recognises for outstanding and meritorious contribution to the industry.
Pretenders foiled
The risk of suspect fruit being piggybacked on Hawke's Bay's global pipfruit reputation has moved one company into cutting-edge science to thwart the pretenders, using what are in effect horticulture's own forms of fingerprinting and DNA testing.
Leading orchardist and Bay View-based family operation Taylor Corporation has engaged Otago company Oritain to come up with the tools to prove their produce is the real thing.
Managing director Kelvin Taylor has heard of artificial colouring of citrus fruit in China and other methods which could be used to pass off fruit as something it is not, but now technology is available to prove the true origins.
"Counterfeiting and mislabelling of products is a serious concern in many of our key markets," Taylor says.
Any attempt to label apples from other regions or countries as being from Taylor Corporation or Hawke's Bay can easily be thwarted by Oritain technology. Stemming from work done at Otago University, it uses large numbers of samples to determine a profile and relates elements inside products such as apples to a unique "fingerprint" based on the geographical origins. the profile cannot be manipulated without detection. Only a small number of organisations throughout the world offer such services.
