Honours reward for hort research
24 March 2021
Plant molecular geneticist Dr Sue Gardiner recently received two prestigious accolades recognising her outstanding contribution to global horticultural science. Colin Williscroft reports.
HORTICULTURE ARCHIVES
Scales well-positioned for Villa Maria play
23 March 2021
Scales has been canvasing agriculture and horticulture investment options for some time and is well-positioned to venture into winemaking if it buys Villa Maria Estates.
Automation a mixed blessing for fruit sector
9 March 2021
Burgeoning crop volumes have prompted the horticultural sector to lift pay rates as it competes on a tight labour market. The shortage and the cost increases put automation and robotics under the spotlight to help ease labour pressures. Richard Rennie looks at whether robots will replace humans on orchards sooner than later.
Ngāi Tahu takes stake in miniature apple company
8 March 2021
Ngāi Tahu Holdings has taken a 6% stake in Rockit Global, lifting its combined stake to 15% of the miniature apple company following a successful capital raise.
Greece helps fill the kiwifruit gap
4 March 2021
Greece is proving to be a surprising contributor to Zespri’s off-season efforts to grow more fruit in the Northern Hemisphere to ensure valuable produce shelf space is maintained in key markets year-round.
Surge in kiwifruit volume expected
4 March 2021
As orchardists grapple with staff challenges, kiwifruit marketers are bracing for an onslaught of fruit this season, with a record crop anticipated.
T&G apple sales the envy of others
3 March 2021
Apples were rosy for T&G Global in 2020 when operating profit for that company division rose by 56% to $52 million and revenue was up 24% to $875m.
Job appeal boosted by pay rise in kiwifruit sector
2 March 2021
Amid a tight job market and limited overseas worker supply, the kiwifruit sector is clamouring for more staff to meet what is anticipated to be a record cropping season for fruit volume.
Scales avoids 2020 minefields but harvest down
2 March 2021
Horticultural giant Scales Corporation traded well throughout a difficult 2020, without setting any milestones or making major moves with its sizable cash reserves.
Lasers target pesky birds
24 February 2021
Using lasers to deter birds draws on images of deadly ray guns shooting the flying targets down in a smoking pile of feathers. The reality is somewhat less spectacular, but proving equally effective in Otago this summer. Richard Rennie reports.
