Eye on weather for biggest field day

Crowds at last year's National Horticultural Field Day at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds.

Organisers of the National Horticultural Field Day are anxiously watching the weather ahead of the big day at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds tomorrow.

It's being held in July for the first time, partly to avoid the annual rain-inclined inclement weather that has dogged the event, though usually to a minor degree, when it was held in early June each year since starting as the Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers ICE Expo in 2007.

But in 2016 the seasons are running "a bit late", in the words of Auckland-based MetService meteorologist Georgina Griffiths, and heavy rain and a strong southeasterly are predicted for much of Hawke's Bay tomorrow and into Saturday.

However, Hawke's Bay A&P Society events manager Anna Hamilton is not getting too upset, saying: "After months of very little rain we won't complain if we do get some rain this week, it may just make it a bit soggy underfoot but we don't expect it to keep visitors away."

The event is promising to be the biggest yet, recognised also by Horticulture NZ now as a significant national event for a buoyant growing industry targeting year-on-year record exports in the key area of apples and pears.

A particular boost has been the staging of a national conference of recognised seasonal employers (RSE), many of whom are expected to remain for the field day and its fully booked array of trade and educational sites.

Among those at the field day will be more than 120 industry representatives for the BNZ Seminar Series Breakfast, with the keynote speaker being Massey University director of business, innovation and strategy Professor Hamish Gow.

Outdoors there'll be big-ups for more than 200 secondary school students from throughout the North Island, checking out career options in horticulture and eight people from orchards across Hawke's Bay competing for the honour of regional Young Fruitgrower of the Year, the first step in their chase for the ultimate honour of New Zealand Young Horticulturist of the Year.

They include three Mr Apple employees in leading hand Anthony Taueki, 26, of Napier; export despatch supervisor Cherokee Hancox Kiri-Kiri, 23, of Takapau; senior supervisor Jordan James, 25, of Haumoana; Turners and Growers staff Balwinder Singh, 29, and fellow senior leading hand Ryan May, both of Napier; and orchard hand Adam Fulford, of Mangateretere. The others are Provident/Freemax foreman Harry Fraser, 23, of Hastings, and Pauly Douglas, 30, an Orchard Investments manager, of Havelock North.

Horticulture's Power Breakfast starts the day at 7.30am, and the field day proper starts at 8.30am.

BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander returns for another key role in the seminar series, starting at 10am. Among the speakers is Mike Bauer, of United States company Ranch Systems, who will speak from 1.30pm.

With most orchards, packhouses and workforces represented there will be keen interest in the New Zealand Hydralada Competition, with the finals starting at 2.30pm, and the Fruitgrowers Association Tug-o-War competition.