EXPORT FIGURES FOR FEBRUARY
Tomato exports in February totalled 287,134 kilograms
with an FOB $NZ value of $929,422 with Australia again the dominant market
taking 253,961 kilograms.
The total volume exported is down about 10% compared
with February 2003. This is probably more a reflection on the state
of the New Zealand domestic market at the time, rather than the export
market in Australia, e.g. our shocking summer weather and very tough growing
conditions.
YOUNG GROWERS TOUR
It now appears fairly certain that Vegfed’s second
Young Growers’ Tour to Australia, this time to Queensland, will take place
in the third week in June. Fresh Tomato Sector Committee has agreed
to increase the number of young growers it will fund from 2 to 3 and decided
that the following young growers would be included in the tour: Ben Anderson
from Status Produce Ltd, Auckland, Stefan Vogrincic, J & AL Vogrincic
Ltd, Drury and Marcus Gargiulo, Mainland Tomatoes, Christchurch.
Two other young tomato growers were also nominated
but unfortunately not all those nominated can be funded but they will be
placed at the top of the list for any future tour.
WHITEFLY
Dr Nicholas Martin’s recent survey of growers
covering changes to their pest control in their crops has not surprisingly
identified whitefly as probably still the number one problem facing growers.
As a result, the Fresh Tomato Sector’s R&D
Committee is to develop Terms of Reference for a study here in New Zealand
and overseas covering such issues as: the life cycle and day and night
habits of whitefly, the effects of weather and temperature on both whitefly
and treatments, what treatments are available including beneficials, predators
and fungal pathogens and potential restrictions, e.g. withholding periods,
MRLs, contact and non-contact re-entry times etc.
Once complete the TORs will be sent out to various
known specialists, inviting them to undertake certain parts of the study
and for the resultant parts to be incorporated into a technical broadsheet
and provided to growers.
BUMBLE BEES CAN DISSEMINATE-PEPINO MOSAIC VIRUS
Bumble bees can disseminate Pepino Mosaic Virus
(Pep MV) which is a real concern for many greenhouse tomato growers in
Northern Hemisphere countries. Pep MV is easily transmitted by plant
contact, common cultural practices and insufficiently disinfected seeds.
Observations also suggested that bumble bees, used as pollinators in tomato
glasshouses, may also play a role in the dissemination of the disease.
Trials were conducted in Spain in plastic houses
using bumble bees for pollination. In spring healthy tomato plants
were transplanted in a commercial plastic house where infected tomato plants
were growing. Symptoms of Pep MV appeared 4 weeks after transplanted
and after 7-8 weeks all transplanted tomatoes showed symptoms. On
bumble bees, the virus was detected by ELISA, mainly on legs (with and
without pollen) but also on the head and abdomen. Body extracts obtained
from infected bumble bees were inoculated to healthy tomato plants and
infections and symptoms were observed in more than 85% of the cases.
Although the exact mechanisms of dissemination
of Pep MV by the Bombus species of bees are not known, the studies demonstrated
that they can spread the virus within tomato crops.
BLACK IS THE NEW ‘IN’ COLOUR FOR TOMATOES
The first ever black tomatoes to be sold in the
UK hit the shelves exclusively at Sainsburys stores in early March, the
store that introduced the nation to the purple carrot. Named Kumato,
the exotic new variety is being trialled in selected stores.
The black variety originates from the Galapagos
Islands, and Sainsburys has worked with a UK based tomato grower and an
international seed company to develop and launch the Kumato which is being
grown in Aguioas, Spain.
Growers in Spain were keen to develop a tomato
variety that would be tolerant to salty conditions. After 6 years
and many thousand natural cross pollinations the desired outcome, Kumato,
was produced.
The result is apparently a sweeter, fuller flavoured
tomato, which maintains the same firm texture as its red counterpart and
offers equivalent nutritional benefits. The black colour from the
original variety remains, while selected breeding has developed a sweet
taste.
GREENHOUSE ENERGY CENSUS
Members of the Fresh Tomato Sector saw copies
of the final draft of the recently completed report on the greenhouse energy
census undertaken last last year. The Committee agreed that it was
an excellent report, containing a considerable amount of very useful information
and that the response of growers had been quite remarkable, a clear indication
of their concerns regarding the proposed carbon tax on most sources of
energy from 2008.
It is intended that the Climate Change Working
Group, being growers from Tomato Sector, Fresh Vegetable Sector’s Covered
Crop Committee and the Northern Flower Growers Association, will meet in
mid-May to discuss the implications of the findings in the report, its
further dissemination and the additional work required to achieve competitiveness
at risk status for the greenhouse vegetable and flower sectors.
A FAREWELL
Many tomato growers will already be aware that
John Becroft departed from his position as General Manager, Status Produce
Ltd, at the end of January this year. John has been a stalwart of
the larger growers and packhouses for many years, initially being their
sole representative and latterly one of two of their representatives on
the Fresh Tomato Sector Committee.
At the end of March, John attended his last committee
meeting and spoke briefly about his time on the committee and in the tomato
industry in general.
Like all good modern tomato varieties, John was
well bred into the industry by his father Murray, who is still growing
in his own right today. John spoke about where he has come from as
an independent grower, operating his own and several leased greenhouses
to ending up as one of the founding shareholders of Status Produce in Harrisville
Road, Pukekohe, later expanding into the second property at Tuakau and
finally as General Manager of Status Produce Ltd, bringing in the third
property at Mangere and the ex PTO Growers Packhouse to where it is today
as the only true corporate tomato enterprise in the country.
Perhaps the most telling part of John’s comments
were about today and the immediate future where he indicated that the increasing
impact of Government legislation and regulations is just making it too
hard for growers to continue to do business in New Zealand.
