Bay Blueberries to share security tips with industry colleagues 6 months after major fruit theft

Blueberry growers across the country will gather in Hawke’s Bay for some off-the-patch learning at the New Zealand Blueberry field days which comes after thieves took hundreds of kilograms of berries from a family-owned orchard.

Workshops and events would take place on Monday and Tuesday attracting industry growers, exporters and suppliers.

Marion Hirst, owner of Bay Blueberries, which was “stripped” of all its crop, with thieves making off with berries in January, would host a workshop on security.

Marian Hirst said they had to make every berry count after the theft. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hirst will take the group on a field walk and share their advice on security and the practices they undertook to protect their business.

She said the theft highlighted a significant problem within the fruit-growing industry.

She believed a recidivist offender had targeted her business after a similar incident occurred in 2021 where a truckload of strawberries was stolen from the Havelock North grower during a midnight heist.

“Those involved weren’t employees or known to the grower,” said Hirst.

A police spokesperson said a review of all information supplied by the public after the January 4 theft was carried out but due to insufficient evidence, the investigation had been filed.

Hirst said since the theft her team worked above and beyond to make “every berry in every punnet count”.

The business had bolstered its alarms, cameras, and lights on all of its growing operations.

Hirst said the field day was a great way to connect and upskill after the peak harvest period which took place from November through to May each year.

“It is for growers to get together in a region and learn, but also catch up and decompress - it is great.”

She said the decision to hold the event in Hawke’s Bay has been to support the region and growers following Cyclone Gabrielle.

Chairman of Blueberries New Zealand Kelvin Bezuidenhout said the field days were focused on tech transfer between industry experts and the wider growing community.

“These field days will be focused on educating growers on best practice techniques for scouting their orchards for pests and diseases.”

He said they would also visit other horticulture businesses such as viticulture, apples and olive growers.

Bezuidenhout said they would work with the wider horticulture industry to see if there was anything that should be considered in the future should another security incident occur.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay newsrooms. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.