Bay of Plenty winners

Opotiki orchardists win Supreme Award

Opotiki kiwifruit growers Brett and Rachael Wotton have been named 2005 Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Award Supreme Award winners at a function held in Tauranga.

The Wottons also won the Ballance Nutrient Management Award and the Hill Laboratories Harvest Award. The Wottons operate a 22-hectare net canopy operation on five orchards. These orchards are all within close proximity in the Tablelands area of Opotiki and in very tidy condition with orchard structures in an exceptionally sound state.

The Wottons are actively involved in the kiwifruit industry and their orchards are used for workshops and demonstration days. The judges commended their enormous amount of industry knowledge, the fact they are at the forefront of industry changes and willing to use new information and technology.

‘Their excellent 2004 harvest record for kiwifruit gold was more than double the industry average in trays per hectare and they had nearly twice the industry average for green kiwifruit. They have also managed to obtain fruit size that is substantially up on the national average,’ the judges said.

The judges also noted that with great teamwork, the Wottons run an intensive contracting business that peaks at 100 staff during the busy picking season.

They have developed excellent staff management skills through their organisation of a multi-cultural workforce. To retain targeted employees they have developed a scholarship scheme.’

Brett and Rachael dispose of rubbish at an organic dump and recycle materials at Opotiki. One of their key objectives is to maintain sustainable high crop yields. They continue to look for various methods and technology to do this.

Other winners were:

ANZ Grow Award
David and Janine Reeves, Kaharoa Farms, Rotorua

Livestock Improvement Best Dairy Farm Award
Paul and Joanna McCarthy, Galatea

BFEA Heritage Restoration Award
Paul and Joanna McCarthy, Galatea

Richmond Best Livestock Farm Award
Barry and Maggie Waite, farm manager Carol Burt, Weardale, Te Puke

Environment Bay of Plenty Environmental Awards
Barry and Pam Pethybridge,
Christopher Mountfort

Gallagher Innovation Awards
Brian Earp,
Sarah Davey,
Barry and Maggie Waite, farm manager Carol Burt

Merit awards
Stuart and Alison Paton
Richard and Rose Powdrell
Kihi and Maria Ngatai
Winston Fleming