We are done - all bar the shouting, with 200 to 300 bins due in today and then we are complete.
This is a record harvest for Seeka with over 30M class 1 trays packed for the first time, excluding any Zespri crop management. All volume has been handled within the capacity plan and weather constraints of the season. The brix levels at packing over the last three days have averaged 11.20 and fruit pressures have averaged 6.4kgf. They are fine.
The season has not been without its challenges. Changes to the taste standards, in particular Gold 3 by size tested our patience as the software which manages maturity and harvest wasn’t fully available at the start of the season. There were numerous issues early on understanding maturity and with the accuracy of results. It seems to have rained for a couple of days most weeks since harvest commencement, and the contaminated pocket pack issue added a particular tension. The new coolstores, are operational and full – albeit in the last week at Main Road – right when we needed it most. The team is already working through the capacity plans for 2017 and beyond. We are facing the need for substantial investment in the absence of any sensible initiatives to allow the use of existing offshore infrastructure available through collaborative marketing.
Outside of one water blaster issue at the beginning of the season, and the serious injury to the contractor – our season has been largely accident free. It is important to stay vigilant and safety focussed as we move further into pruning and inventory management.
The longer and later than expected season has created unexpected challenges. Some of our overseas workers, brought to work in our pack houses under the RSE scheme have been returning home as planned but before the end of the packing season. We didn’t plan to still be packing fruit this late. We have had to scramble to keep the sheds at full staffing compliment. Some of the new schemes rolled out this year to encourage or enable New Zealanders to work have gone stunningly well. This year, Seeka worked with WINZ to enable vans and drivers for their clients from Rotorua, Murupara and Kawerau to work at Seeka. Approximately 70 workers reliably turned up and worked with us adding positively to our complement.
The Zespri move to crop manage large size fruit continues to grate many. The decision not to allow marketers to purchase the fruit for grower incremental returns for sale in Australia seems contrary to optimising the return to Hayward growers. While it is relatively a small amount, it’s an important principle. We should be striving to maximise the value of the crop that our growers provide us.
Please note that the fruit loss and time income has been added where relevant below.
To the numbers [as at midnight 19 June ]
Hayward Conventional
| Seeka packed trays | 21,171,717 | Industry packed trays | 85,302,877 [24.8%] |
| Seeka avge size | 32.55 | Industry avge size | 32.44 |
| Seeka loaded trays | 8,832,855 | Instore trays | 12,338,862 |
| On order | 1,411,945 |
Hayward Organic
| Seeka packed trays | 1,128,448 | Industry packed trays | 3,927,200 [28.7%] |
| Seeka avge size | 34.51 | Industry avge size | 35.02 |
| Seeka loaded trays | 308,894 | Instore trays | 819,594 |
| On order | 130,089 |
Zespri SunGold G3 Conventional
| Seeka packed trays | 7,297,904 | Industry packed trays | 46,517,437 [15.7%] |
| Seeka avge size | 29.04 | Industry avge size | 29.84 |
| Seeka loaded trays | 5,344,045 | Instore trays | 1,953,859 |
| Fruit loss to date | 0.03% | Est time income | $0.05 per submit te |
| On order | 400,299 |
Zespri SunGold G3 Organic
| Seeka packed trays | 116,300 | Industry packed trays | 750,270 [15.5%] |
| Seeka avge size | 30.63 | Industry avge size | 29.73 |
| Seeka loaded trays | 85,382 | Instore trays | 30,918 |
| Fruit loss to date | 0.03% | Est time income | $0.05 per submit te |
| On order | 13,567 |
Zespri Sweetgreen G14
| Seeka packed trays | 178,306 | Industry packed trays | 1,545,117 [11.6%] |
| Seeka avge size | 36.05 | Industry avge size | 36.21 |
| Seeka loaded trays | 166,885 | Instore trays | 11,421 |
| Fruit loss to date | 0.23% | Est time income | 0 [Nil time in G14] |
| On order | 9,997 |
Seeka after 5’s are coming on 4/5/6 July as below:
4 July – Main Road Katikati
5 July – Huka Pack
6 July – Oakside
7 July – Ohope Edgecumbe
Our thanks
Thank you to the all the Contractors, Staff and Growers for putting together a successful harvest season. It has been a comprehensive campaign to date and while we might have a little way to go with the inventory and storage season – it’s been well managed to date. Thank you.
Regards
Michael
Seeka Key
Contacts