A fresh pair of eyes for stronger orchard performance.
This content was prepared by Top OGR Services and is being published by The New Zealand Herald as Advertorial.
Gill Singh first walked into a kiwifruit orchard 16 years ago, beginning a lifelong journey.
He never imagined kiwifruit would become his profession, but it soon did.
Within days of moving to New Zealand from India in 2010, Singh found his first pruning job and never looked back.
“It took me the entire season to learn how to prune,” Singh says.
“Once I learned pruning, I wanted to understand the next job, then the next one.”
From there, his fascination grew.
“Eventually it became less about doing orchard work and more about understanding the vine – that’s where the passion started.”
Singh’s journey – from orchard worker to supervisor, manager and senior manager – has shaped his approach to kiwifruit.
Today, Singh leads Top OGR Services, which provides orchard management and works alongside growers who want technical support while remaining hands-on.
During his career, Singh oversaw the restoration of a struggling 50ha orchard in Hawke’s Bay. The owners had tried to sell the property for years.
Production was “back on track” after four years under Singh’s management, and the property sold in 2021.
“Every season and every orchard teaches you something different,” Singh says.
Singh returned to the Bay of Plenty, became senior orchard manager of a 70ha orchard, and later built Top OGR Services.
One gold orchard managed by Top OGR Services increased from 14,028 trays per ha in 2024 to 21,315 in 2026, while class one pack-out rose from 85% to 96.5%.
“We didn’t just grow more fruit,” Singh says. “We improved quality alongside production.”
OGR stands for orchard gate return: balancing production, quality, costs, healthy vines and sustainable returns.
“When I first visit a property, I’ll spend hours walking, looking, stopping and thinking. I’m asking myself why a vine looks different and why a bay behaves differently. What are we missing?”
Singh says he leaves no stone unturned.
“I don’t want to rush the first assessment.”
Afterwards, Singh discusses his observations with the grower.
“I want their side of the story – previous production and quality records, orchard history, what they’ve tried before, what has worked, what hasn’t, and what challenges they’ve been dealing with.”
Singh understands where growers are coming from – the stakes are high when it’s their orchard.
“You don’t want to drop the extra fruit or remove a compromised plant you’ve looked after for years. Sometimes the ‘she’ll be right’ attitude can become expensive.”
He says a fresh set of eyes can be valuable.
“I look at the vines, canopy, variability between rows and bays, plant health, and anything that makes me stop and ask why.”
With Top OGR Services, the person walking through a grower’s orchard is also the person answering their phone call: Gill Singh.
“The grower has a direct relationship with the person managing their orchard.”
For more information, visit www.topogr.com