Apples
Apples and automation: Has the future arrived in the orchard?
An orchard in Hawke's Bay has become the first to use a robot in a commercial apple harvest. T & G Global's Chief Operating Officer Peter Landon-Lane joins Kathryn to talk about what it means for a… Audio
How labour shortages are impacting the apple and pear industry
Hawke's Bay is struggling with a labour shortage, just as this year's bumper crop of apples and pears is ripe for picking. Gary Jones, from New Zealand Apple and Pears says it's time for a… Audio
Growing on
Graham Jensen has been growing fruit just north of Auckland for 42 years. He used to be one of hundreds of orchardists in the Auckland area - now only four remain. Audio
The grapes are off?
Some vineyard owners are choosing to tear out the grapes in favour of apples, citing the continued corporatisation of winemaking in New Zealand and the prohibitively high price of releasing your own… Audio
Training Trees
Plant and Food Research is trialing a radically new way of growing trees. It is training them to grow like candelabra. Audio
The Apple Gang and Apple Grower
Susan Murray checks in with an apple harvesting gang and an apple orchardist who says proposed wage increases will cost him an extra $75,000 dollars a year. Audio
Perfect storm hits NZ fruit industry
A massive shortage of seasonal labour that affected this year's apple harvest is now flowing on to kiwifruit. As that crop hits its peak harvesting time, they're short of over a thousand workers for… Audio
Apple Angst
Simon Easton has a 60-hectare apple orchard in the Tasman region. He says every year it gets harder to find fruit pickers, but this year takes the cake. Audio
Carey White's apple brownies
If you're baking with apples, Granny Smith are best as they pulp down quickly and easily, says Carey White. The Rangiora orchardist shares her recipe for (gluten-free) gooey melt apple brownies. Audio
Gita: Motueka orchards hit hard
Orchards in the Motueka area have been hit hard by flooding from Cyclone Gita, prompting fears fruit will not make it to market.
New Zealand India Apple Partnership
New Zealand apple experts are working with growers in Himachal Pradesh to improve production of the region's apple trees. Audio
Fruit Logistica
Our guest this week is the chief executive of New Zealand Apples and Pears, Alan Pollard. He's in Berlin, Germany at present attending a massive fresh produce trade show called Fruit Logistica. Over… Audio
Juiced the ticket
Brian Belluomini and Sarah Wright of Mela Juice think the secret to their juice just might be the sturdy, not overly efficient, 40-year-old juicer they inherited. Mela Juice produces single-variety… Audio
Assessing the Damage
Motueka apple orchardist Evan Heywood has damage to five hectares of fruit from a bad batch of fungicide. Audio
Midday Rural News for 3 November 2017
Testing of a spray which has ruined over nine million dollars of apples has found that one batch contained a fungicide not intended for use on apples. Audio
Bad batch of fungicide ruining apple crops - grower
A bad batch of fungicide has ruined apples in the Nelson region and some fruit will be destroyed instead of exported, a grower says.
Good Growers
Marian and Graham Hirst started growing applies 28 years ago. They've had a good 2016, winning a number of business awards, but it hasn't always been easy on their Hawkes Bay orchard. Audio, Gallery
Food with Paul Paynter
Paul Paynter is the 5th generation manager of Hawkes Bay family business the Yummy Fruit Company. As a bumper apple crop is being harvested about now, Paul talks to Kathryn Ryan about new varieties… Audio
How do you like them apples? - Food prices soar in January
The cost of food has had its largest monthly jump in nearly eight years, led by record apples prices.
Piqa Boo! What’s new in apples and pears
NZ growers are snapping up the newest apple on the block, Dazzle, and Piqa Boo, a new pear variety that combines the best of the East and West. Audio