NZ: Orchards dodge storm damage

Kiwifruit and avocado orchards may have escaped serious damage from northeasterly winds last night. Michael Darling of AvoWorks, a contract picking company, had received no reports of damage from his clients this morning. "If anyone has been affected it will probably be those close to the harbour or coast rather than further inland," he said. Avocado Growers Association and Industry Council chairman John Schnackenberg said fruit picking on his Tuapiro orchard, north of Katikati, had been postponed over the weekend because of wind and rain. However, the winds that came in from the sea yesterday did not do as much damage as those which blew over the Kaimai range, "dumping" on orchards.
Mike Smith, chairman of the Green Growers Association, found some damage among new varieties on his Welcome Bay orchard but things were not as bad as he had feared. "Most fruit on mature vines is pretty well protected by the canopy but new varieties with tender young growth has been affected with quite a lot of canes broken.
"However, it's not unexpected," he said. Long-time kiwifruit orchardist of Kauri Point, David Roberts, said wind rub on gold kiwifruit was growers' biggest concern. "Hayward [green] kiwifruit can withstand around three days of wind without too much damage because it takes three days to rub hairs off the skins. Gold and all the new varieties have no hair so are more vulnerable," he said. Fruit with blemishes on the skin caused by wind rub are not able to be exported.