‘One big plus’ to get organic kiwifruit picked

FIRST IN NZ: The Parker family from Paroa Road at Tolaga Bay have got their kiwifruit crop off the vines and away to market, despite the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. Bridget and Mike Parker are pictured with their daughters Clare and Penelope and son Toby. Picture supplied

Mike and Bridget Parker from Tolaga Bay had something to smile about at last when they got their organic Gold kiwifruit crop away recently.

It was the first organically grown kiwifruit picked and packed in the country this season.

The Parkers’ property in Paroa Road, off the Tauwhareparae Road inland from Tolaga Bay, alongside the Mangaheia River, had slash-laden floodwaters rip through much of it.

“We were hit very hard by cyclones Hale and Gabrielle, with water, a lot of silt and pine slash,” Mike Parker said.

“We had to remove about 46 double-axle trailer- loads of debris out of the kiwifruit orchard, including a few smaller logs.

“It’s a miracle we didn’t lose any of our kiwifruit plants.”

The Parkers planted their 7.5ha of kiwifruit in 2020 and this was their first full production season.

“It’s very exciting to be the first in New Zealand to get organic kiwifruit into the market,” Mr Parker said.

It took them and their helpers about four days to pick the crop and the fruit has gone to Tauranga for packing, then export.

“We got just under 300 bins off the vines and the fruit quality was good, especially considering the season.

“The heat units finally kicked in for the fruit in the past three weeks.”

The rest of the Parker property is in maize.

“That’s been badly knocked around,” Mike said.

“We had hoped to get close to 3000 tonnes of maize away this season, but the floodwaters, filled with trees and slash, knocked a lot of it down.

“We will be able to pick some of it, and we’re about three weeks away from harvest, but at this stage we’re not sure what the yield will be like.

“The crop was looking absolutely outstanding up till Christmas, but since then it’s been carnage,” he said.

The floods have left their legacy too in the kiwifruit orchard, with silt up to 300 millimetres deep through it.

“It will all have to be removed, and that’s going to be a big job.

“We estimate there is 5000 cubic metres of silt to be removed, so weeks of work,” Mr Parker said.

“The kiwifruit would not have grown much since silt surrounded it, and we’ve had up to 64 people a day clearing the silt from around the plants, including 40 forestry staff.

“So it’s been one big plus to get our kiwifruit crop away, and we’d like to thank all those who helped us.”