Please accept our latest update to our growers and stakeholders on fruit performance and Industry and issues. We are now fully loaded out of all kiwifruit in New Zealand. Our New Zealand avocado harvest continues, along with the early maturing Golden May apricots in Australia.
Late last week, Seeka received the that we have been allocated another 87 additional seasonal workers under the RSE scheme. These workers compliment the local New Zealand workforce at a time of peak labour demand that is beyond that which we can supply locally. While still short of what we will require to have certainty of full labour supply, it is really a pleasing increase and we thank and applaud those in the Industry and Seeka who have worked to make it happen. Seeka is investing tens of millions of dollars in regional infrastructure for the benefit of its growers and accordingly the increase underpins our investment.
Over the last two weeks Seeka has run the “After 5” roadshows through the catchment and launched the Seeka App designed to increase transparency and connect our growers with their fruit as it passes through our supply chain. The App works for both Avocado and Kiwifruit growers and allows you to manage your safety features, see your maps, understand clearance and clearance results, packing as it happens and fruit performance through the cool-chain. We are really excited by this in-house innovation that can work on any phone, tablet, IPAD or from your computer. This App simplifies your orchard and maturity area’s information into one source seemingly in Industries hell-bent on adding complication. We have invited our growers to give us feedback on the next wave of innovation they would like to see in the App. Already we are thinking about how we can introduce the financial overlay to the system, along with a mechanism to simplify Global Gap requirements along with providing better transparency of what actually is happening to your fruit after it leaves New Zealand.
The Zespri Industry sales reporting has been simplified to the extent that we cannot deliver you meaningful interpretation. There has been some late Hayward conventional quality issues reported in some of the markets. We are uncertain as to how much was provisioned in the latest Zespri forecast, so are cautious as to what the impact will be on the fruit return.
Standby – we are doing it again – Seeka will run another Australian orchard tour in late February 2019. These tours have been well attended by growers who have really enjoyed the short trip across the Tasman, to look at our orchards and enjoy a bit of Australian hospitality hosted by Seeka. If you are intending to come then please note we are planning the trip late February with the dates to be set next week.
Kind regards
Michael
Seeka Key
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