July Citrus News ’25

As Interim Chair, I’d like to share a few key updates from the Citrus NZ Board.

We’ve had some recent changes around the board table, and at the upcoming AGM, Citrus NZ will be looking to appoint an independent Chair as well as one additional grower board member. The board position is a valuable opportunity for a grower to help shape the direction of our industry. If you’re passionate about the future of citrus in New Zealand and want to contribute to decisions that support grower success, we encourage you to consider putting your name forward. Key dates are included in this email, with further communications scheduled in the coming weeks.

With the navel harvest now underway, we’d like to acknowledge the continued efforts of growers across the country. Maintaining high-quality fruit standards is critical for our industry as we endeavour to hold our place alongside imported citrus and work to grow consumer preference for local, New Zealand-grown fruit.

Our annual conference this year will take a different format. It’ll include the AGM, a practical on-orchard workshop and wrap up with our first-ever Industry Awards Dinner. It’s shaping up to be a relaxed, informative and engaging day — a chance to catch up, learn something new, and celebrate the great work happening across our sector.
We’d also love to hear from businesses interested in supporting both the workshop and the awards dinner through sponsorship — more details can be found below.

We’re pleased to welcome Gareth Knox to our R&D Committee in the new role of R&D Associate. This appointment is part of our commitment to building future capability within Citrus NZ and supporting succession in our leadership groups.

At the end of the month, the Board will be coming together for a strategic planning day, where we’ll use insights gathered through the recent Regional Advisory Group (RAG) meetings to shape our next steps — particularly around setting R&D priorities for FY26/27.
We’re very grateful to everyone who took the time to contribute through the RAG process — your feedback is helping guide where we go next. Your RAG representatives represent growers voices, so please approach them at any time if you you have a suggestion or question!

The Remit Working Group will also be meeting towards the end of the month to work on a phased project plan- again, thanks to those growers who have willing put their hands up to participate in this group.

Finally, we were deeply saddened by the recent and sudden passing of Marcus Beaufoy. Our thoughts and aroha are with Kerry, Meg, Lily, and Georgie, and with all those who knew and worked alongside Marcus. He will be missed.

Thank you for your continued support of Citrus NZ. We look forward to catching up with many of you soon.

Ngā mihi nui,

Tam Jex-Blake

This year marks a change to the format of our annual conference. In line with our focus on delivering grower-led initiatives, the conference will now be held every two years, with our efforts this year, firmly centred on delivering tangible outcomes from those initiatives.

In its place for 2025, we’ll host a streamlined one-day event featuring our AGM, an on-orchard workshop and an Industry Awards Dinner on Friday 19 September.

AGM

Join us at Midway Surf Club at 8:30am for our AGM, followed by a brief presentation by Dave Manktelow of Applied Research, focusing on spray technology. Dave will share emerging trends and highlight opportunities for significant improvements in spray application practices and outcomes for tree crops.

ON-ORCHARD WORKSHOP

Attendees will then be transported to Waikurawai Orchard for a practical, on-orchard learning session:

Spray & Pruning Workshop: Optimising Spray Effectiveness

Led by David Manktelow, this session will explore how to get the best out of your spray application technology – with a focus on improving spray penetration and coverage, and optimising chemical application rates and spray volumes for different canopies. Held in collaboration with Waikurawai Orchard, the workshop will also include grower-led discussion on pruning strategies that support more effective spray outcomes.

Green Atlas Cartographer

We’ll then explore the Green Atlas Cartographer – a cutting-edge tool used widely in New Zealand and Australia to map bud development and crop load.

2D Trellised Block Visit

To wrap up the day, we’ll visit a 2D trellised citrus block – a glimpse into the future of citrus growing. Hear directly from Tam and Dan Jex-Blake about the set-up and development of this innovative block.

All are welcome to attend. For catering, health & safety and transport purposes, registration is required for the on-orchard visit. To register for the workshop visit our home page.

INDUSTRY AWARDS DINNER

We’re excited to announce the launch of four inaugural citrus industry awards, to be presented at this year’s Industry Awards Dinner at Bushmere Arms.

These awards are about celebrating the heart of our industry- the people. Across the sector, we see passionate growers, forward-thinking innovators and dedicated teams working hard to ensure the sustainability and success of citrus in New Zealand. These awards aim to recognise best practice, inspire pride and professionalism, celebrate leadership and innovation and recognise outstanding contribution and stewardship in our sector.

Award Categories

• Industry Champion Award
• Excellence in Orchard Sustainability & Practice Award
• Citrus Innovation Award
• Emerging Leader Award

The awards are open to all citrus growers, industry-affiliated businesses, contractor teams, post-harvest operations and those in technical support roles.

If you know someone who deserves recognition, we encourage you to nominate them! Nominations must be received by 5pm, 31 August. Nomination forms can be found here

Awards Dinner – with Te Radar!

We’re excited to have the hilarious Te Radar as emcee for the evening. He’ll be keeping us entertained with highlights from his recent New Zealand Cookbookery Tour which has received rave reviews across the country! It’s set to be a night of great company, plenty of laughs and an opportunity to celebrate the best in our industry.

Only 180 dinner tickets available — book here head to our homepage to reserve your ticket!

Growing Talent from the Ground Up

Rowan and Tiffany Wallace own and operate Ngā Puāwai Orchard—a 6.5ha Yen Ben lemon orchard in the Lower Kaimais, Bay of Plenty. They’ve been in the citrus industry for three years, after transitioning from avocado growing and over 20 + years in public service ( NZ Army and NZ Police).

An Orchard Owner’s Viewpoint

It is easy within the current economic environment to look to cut costs and focus on the essentials like fertiliser, fungicides  and harvesting. Often, this means other important areas—like personal and staff development—get sidelined.

At Ngā Puāwai, we take a different view. For us, a growth mindset is a key strategy to remain profitable and sustainable now and into the future. We see staff and personal development not as optional, but as essential investment. That doesn’t mean we aren’t cost-conscious—we still assess our business through a cost-benefit lens.

Some of the ways we’re building capability include:

• Hosting grower workshops on-orchard, where technical advisors share knowledge alongside practical demonstrations and orchard walks.
• Running youth development fieldays to give young people hands, practical experience in horticulture.
• Supporting structured learning through micro-credentials (e.g. licensing, Growsafe), distance learning, mentoring, and on-the-job training.

This year, our orchard hand Alice Campbell began her Primary ITO Horticulture Production (Fruit Production) apprenticeship. We explored training options after chatting with Primary ITO at the 2024 Citrus Conference dinner, speaking to our local training advisor, and ensuring Alice was keen to take on the challenge!

The cost to our business is low—apprenticeship fees are currently 50% subsidised in the first year, and the Apprenticeship Boost scheme provides a $575 monthly rebate (incl. GST) for the first 12 months. This enables us to fully fund Alice’s training, plus offer additional learning opportunities to support her journey.

In just three months, we’ve seen measurable benefits: forward-thinking, enhanced orchard performance and fresh ideas on how to improve operations. The apprenticeship follows the seasonal cycle of the orchard, helping Alice connect theory to practice and understand not just the “what,” but the “why” and “how.”

The result? A more engaged, skilled, and proactive team member—plus greater agility and capability across our small, independent business.

 A Learner’s Perspective – Alice’s Story

I recently started an apprenticeship in Horticulture Fruit Production (Levels 3 and 4) with Ngā Puāwai Orchard and Primary ITO. Returning to adult learning was something I’d wanted to do for a long time, and this opportunity finally felt like the right fit.

One of the biggest impacts has been how valued I feel. Knowing my employers believe in me and are willing to invest in formal training means a lot. It’s not just about doing a job—it’s about being supported to grow, contribute, and be part of the future of their business and the citrus industry in New Zealand.

Before starting the apprenticeship, I had a good grasp of day-to-day operations. But after just a few months, I’ve developed stronger skills in identifying pests, diseases, weeds, and nutrient deficiencies—and knowing how and when to respond. I’m especially looking forward to upcoming modules on soil health, young tree care, and fertiliser application.

What I love about the way Primary ITO delivers this programme is how tailored it is to my daily work. I can apply what I’m learning straight away. It’s not just textbook theory—it’s immediately relevant to the real-life challenges we face in the orchard.

It’s not just about growing lemons.
It’s about growing skills, confidence, and future potential.

Time to Prune: Setting Up for 2026 Citrus Crops

As winter citrus harvests continue, now is the time to start thinking ahead to your 2026 crops.
Satsuma mandarins are nearing the end of harvest, navel oranges are underwayand Meyer and Yen Ben lemons are in full swing.

Once these crops are harvested, pruning should be the next task on your list—ideally undertaken as soon as possible after harvest and preferably before the spring flush begins.

Citrus NZ provides detailed guidance on pruning in the Growing Citrus in NZ guide or via the Members section on our website.

Why Prune Annually?

Annual pruning is essential for all citrus crops. While some varieties—like lemons, summer mandarins, and summer oranges—may have fruit present year-round, it is still best practice to prune annually to maintain tree health, structure, and fruit quality.

Sometime there is hesitation not to prune summer-harvested crops due to visible fruit loss. However, this is a false economy. Without regular pruning, fruit quality and tree vigour tend to decline. And remember—when pruning winter harvested crops, you’re still removing fruit potential; it’s just not visible yet.

The main goals of pruning are to balance fruiting and vegetative growth, maintain an open tree structure for improved light, airflow, and access and ensure better spray coverage and disease control.

 Key Benefits of Pruning – At a Glance (from the Citrus NZ Pruning Module)

1. Improves labour access for key tasks like thinning, pruning, and picking
2. Maintains accessibility for machinery operations
3. Enhances light distribution → better fruit size and quality
4. Improves air circulation → helps control fungal diseases such as scab, melanose, glomerella, brown rot and other post harvest diseases
5. Reduces pest and disease habitats e.g. whitefly, thrips, scale
6. Removes dead/diseased wood that harbours disease and damages fruit e.g Melanose, the spores of which proliferate on dead wood, is worse on unpruned grapefruit, oranges, and lemons, under our wet humid conditions
7. Improves spray penetration → more effective pest and disease control
8. Skirt pruning prevents fruit from touching the ground → reduces brown rot and red mite (often found on lower branches that get splashed with spoil)
9. Skirt pruning makes irrigation, fertilising, and herbicide application more efficient
10. Pruned canopies dry out faster and potentially allow for more picking hours in wet conditions (faster canopy drying)
11. Helps regulate flowering, fruit set and crop load → to assist with alternate bearing, stabilising cropping and returns
12. Removes spent wood with poor fruiting potential
13. Eliminates wood that shades or crowds productive areas
14. Clears crossing branches that block airflow and light
15. Helps manages vigorous water shoots- in the right place, some are useful for replacement wood and need to be shortened by about 40% to overcome their apical dominance and induce branching from lateral buds.
16. Stimulates new vegetative growth which will provide future fruit bearing wood.

See It in Action

Citrus NZ will be showcasing the impact of pruned vs unpruned trees, particularly regarding spray application efficiency, at our upcoming  workshop on 19 September at Waikurawai Orchard.

Make sure to join us and see first-hand how effective pruning sets your orchard up for healthier trees, better spray coverage, and higher-quality fruit.