NZ: Boysenberry growers call it a day after 4 bad seasons
Their decision has a wide impact and will spell the end of seasonal employment for hundreds of people, many of them students.
Both Ranzau Horticulture and Berry Fields have started pulling out about 80 hectares of vines, although an existing grower is to take over 23ha of the Berry Fields' fruit on McShane Rd and another is interested in running its pick-your-own operation, so the full impact is yet to be seen.
Graham Battersby, of Ranzau Horticulture, the largest of the two growers said that he made his decision after four years of making a loss and that he wanted to do something more profitable with his land.
He blamed the high value of the currency saying it had become nigh on impossible to to export to the US and Europe. "You can sell the product at a good price, but once you convert it back to New Zealand dollars the returns are just not there."
It isn't just the currency however, the weather has also had a role to play. This year hi crop has been almost halved by inclement weather. Gales stripped much of the fruit from the vines, followed by floods in December and then an outbreak of botrytis.
He said it was a difficult choice after 28 years, to call an end to 63ha of vines. "It's been a wrench to suddenly start pulling out plants that you have nurtured."
It had also been difficult telling staff, including one woman supervisor who had been there from the start, Mr Battersby said.
Last year the business paid out $860,000 in wages to 75 people involved in the harvesting and packing operations and 40 people involved in winter maintenance, plus three permanent staff. So clearly the decision will have an impact upon local economics.
Some of these jobs, Mr Battersby hopes, will be maintained as he is going to be leasing his land too local vegetable growers.
It's a similar story over at Berry Fields. Alan Field, who along with his brothers, Philip and Peter, ran Berry Fields for 37 years, said they felt "pretty sad" shutting the gate and laying off staff.
It would mean the loss of about 100 summer jobs, another 35 during winter and three full-time positions, although some of these people would be picked up by other growers, he said.
"It's amazing how many people have worked here over the years." They ranged from mothers to countless students, he said. "We've helped put a lot of kids through university."
Both Mr Battersby and Mr Field said despite their decision, they believed the industry would survive the downturn and that boysenberries had a bright future.
Source: www.stuff.co.nz
