February 16, 2025 • 4 mins
We chat to a Hawke’s Bay apple grower, two years on from Cyclone Gabrielle, to discuss the recovery.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You might remember on Friday show we were talking to
Toby Williams at at Gisbone of Course Meats and Wool
Chair for Federated Farmers about life two years on from
cyclone Gabrielle. We're going down the road awebit to Hawk, Spain,
apple growing capital of the country to chat to Mark
Ericsson from Waymar orchards. And Mark, you've sent me some
(00:22):
pictures twelve months ago and again today and from where
you were two years ago, you've had a wonderful transformation.
How is the recovery going? Have you fully recovered from Gabrielle.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Well, we still got a long way to go yet, Jamie,
but we've made some fantastic progress. And yep, we've replanted
the apples and we've tidied up largely, but we've still
got buildings to repair and Kerry Brute to resurrect with
new plantings. But as they say, good things take time.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
So at the height of Gabrielle you had something like
four and a half meters covering your orchards. How do
you recover from that?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Well, there was a lot of resilience needed in great support.
So fortunately you know farm Strong, they were always there
at some great consultants, and my wife and family and
good friends of mine and my teammates, my hard working team.
And as they say, you're only as good as the
people around you. So that's been that's been the backbone
(01:23):
of the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Really.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Now you're part of a wider group I think called
Mount air and it's a collective of half a dozen
growers with similar philosophies. Are you all larger scale orchardists.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Would saying the larger scale was sort of more idium
sized businesses, Jamie. We are very much family orientated companies
that feed into Mount Aeron with like minded sort of
growing quality produce.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I love this time of the year, Mark, simply because
you can go to your green grocer or your supermarket
and the first of the new seat and apples are
there and there's nothing better.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Well, we're rod on the thick of a harvest at
the moment, Jamie, and we've got a lot of fruit
on the water getting towards Asia. And you can't, like
you say, you can't get better than picking off the
tree or coming picking up fresh produce from the store.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
So yeah, we're.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Fantastic growing conditions this season, and we're briefing the benefits
right now as we speak with a great harvest and progress.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Well, you had the imperfect storm two years ago, and
just talking to other hawks By growers, this season has
basically been a perfect season for you guys, and goodness
nows you needed it.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Yeah, no clock direct.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Last year was a bit of a season from from
the paverbia as they say, as well as the season
before that. But last season we had issues with carried
over in innoculum, so black spot didn't help us. And
in order to death we'll leap parly imadge and so
therefore we had impediments getting into the marketplace and as
a consequence of return, we nowhere near where.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
What we want them to be.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
You're also growing a bit of ki with fruit, as
you mentioned, and I know you've got to sort some
of that out, but Keywi fruit returns at the moment
are very good. How do apples compare as a venture financially?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
No kivy fruits hitting that sweet spot and it has
been very sustainable for the lasts that have decadded a bit.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Very fortunate.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
We've got that new coldivar with G three that came
out of the stable after devastating PSA. But apples don't
quite match the returns that kevy fruit do. But you
know that's a difference between retail marketing and wholesale.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Hey, Mark, I asked us, of all apple growers that
I chat to on the show, what's your favorite variety
if you had to eat one apple for the rest
of your life, what would it be?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Well, funny enough, I used to be a bit of
a cynic of Rocket, but that's my favorite apple of
choice right now. Eats amazing and great crunch stores well,
and yeah, it's received well in the marketplace. So we
just need to onwards and upwards with that brand and
trying to get their demand and supply supply equilivering and
correct fashion.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Okay, Hey, Mark Ericson, thank you very much for some
of your time from Hawk's Bay. You've got that orchard
at Taradale there. You were right in the guts of
it of the flooding, as we said, four and a
half meters covering your orchard and Hawk's Bay there. If
you don't mind, Mark, we might even chuck some of
your photos up that you kindly sent me so the
rest of the country can look at what you've done.
Because it's been an amazing repatriation of that land.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Thanks Jamie, and I just want to say thanks to
all the comrades and people who's been of assistance around
us for those two years, and like minded growers and
the Lights who've been hit with the cloods. You know,
they're all working hard to get back on the Hawk
again and we're all doing it together. So been tough journey,
but we'll get it on with it.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Good on you mate, Thanks James,
You might remember on Friday show we were talking to
Toby Williams at at Gisbone of Course Meats and Wool
Chair for Federated Farmers about life two years on from
cyclone Gabrielle. We're going down the road awebit to Hawk, Spain,
apple growing capital of the country to chat to Mark
Ericsson from Waymar orchards. And Mark, you've sent me some
(00:22):
pictures twelve months ago and again today and from where
you were two years ago, you've had a wonderful transformation.
How is the recovery going? Have you fully recovered from Gabrielle.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Well, we still got a long way to go yet, Jamie,
but we've made some fantastic progress. And yep, we've replanted
the apples and we've tidied up largely, but we've still
got buildings to repair and Kerry Brute to resurrect with
new plantings. But as they say, good things take time.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
So at the height of Gabrielle you had something like
four and a half meters covering your orchards. How do
you recover from that?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Well, there was a lot of resilience needed in great support.
So fortunately you know farm Strong, they were always there
at some great consultants, and my wife and family and
good friends of mine and my teammates, my hard working team.
And as they say, you're only as good as the
people around you. So that's been that's been the backbone
(01:23):
of the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Really.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Now you're part of a wider group I think called
Mount air and it's a collective of half a dozen
growers with similar philosophies. Are you all larger scale orchardists.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Would saying the larger scale was sort of more idium
sized businesses, Jamie. We are very much family orientated companies
that feed into Mount Aeron with like minded sort of
growing quality produce.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I love this time of the year, Mark, simply because
you can go to your green grocer or your supermarket
and the first of the new seat and apples are
there and there's nothing better.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Well, we're rod on the thick of a harvest at
the moment, Jamie, and we've got a lot of fruit
on the water getting towards Asia. And you can't, like
you say, you can't get better than picking off the
tree or coming picking up fresh produce from the store.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
So yeah, we're.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Fantastic growing conditions this season, and we're briefing the benefits
right now as we speak with a great harvest and progress.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Well, you had the imperfect storm two years ago, and
just talking to other hawks By growers, this season has
basically been a perfect season for you guys, and goodness
nows you needed it.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Yeah, no clock direct.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Last year was a bit of a season from from
the paverbia as they say, as well as the season
before that. But last season we had issues with carried
over in innoculum, so black spot didn't help us. And
in order to death we'll leap parly imadge and so
therefore we had impediments getting into the marketplace and as
a consequence of return, we nowhere near where.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
What we want them to be.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
You're also growing a bit of ki with fruit, as
you mentioned, and I know you've got to sort some
of that out, but Keywi fruit returns at the moment
are very good. How do apples compare as a venture financially?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
No kivy fruits hitting that sweet spot and it has
been very sustainable for the lasts that have decadded a bit.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Very fortunate.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
We've got that new coldivar with G three that came
out of the stable after devastating PSA. But apples don't
quite match the returns that kevy fruit do. But you
know that's a difference between retail marketing and wholesale.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Hey, Mark, I asked us, of all apple growers that
I chat to on the show, what's your favorite variety
if you had to eat one apple for the rest
of your life, what would it be?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Well, funny enough, I used to be a bit of
a cynic of Rocket, but that's my favorite apple of
choice right now. Eats amazing and great crunch stores well,
and yeah, it's received well in the marketplace. So we
just need to onwards and upwards with that brand and
trying to get their demand and supply supply equilivering and
correct fashion.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Okay, Hey, Mark Ericson, thank you very much for some
of your time from Hawk's Bay. You've got that orchard
at Taradale there. You were right in the guts of
it of the flooding, as we said, four and a
half meters covering your orchard and Hawk's Bay there. If
you don't mind, Mark, we might even chuck some of
your photos up that you kindly sent me so the
rest of the country can look at what you've done.
Because it's been an amazing repatriation of that land.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Thanks Jamie, and I just want to say thanks to
all the comrades and people who's been of assistance around
us for those two years, and like minded growers and
the Lights who've been hit with the cloods. You know,
they're all working hard to get back on the Hawk
again and we're all doing it together. So been tough journey,
but we'll get it on with it.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Good on you mate, Thanks James,
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