Fairfield Orchards Reaches 90% Crop Protection
There’s a new layer of protection going up over our latest block in the Little Sydney Valley, Riwaka. Hail net cloth is being installed over trees that are reaching production next season, marking another step in an ongoing programme that now covers 90% of our pipfruit with hail net protection.
Protecting the crop, protecting the jobs
Hail net isn’t just about the fruit on the tree. A single hail event can put a season’s crop at risk, and with it, the work that goes along with growing, packing and selling that fruit. Extending our hail net coverage to this new block is part of how we protect both the crop and the jobs that depend on a strong harvest.
Stronger, taller, and built to last
The construction going up in Little Sydney Valley is a step up from the hail net we’ve built in the past. It uses a new steel construction that’s stronger and more durable than previous versions, and it stands higher too. That extra height matters: the higher the net, the more protection it offers if a hail event does hit.
A labour-saving upgrade
The new steel blanket-style construction also changes how the net is managed day to day. Unlike the drape-style net we’ve used previously, which needs to be clipped up and dropped down as the seasons change, the new steel construction doesn’t require that ongoing manual work. It’s a smaller change, but one that frees up the team’s time for other jobs around the orchard.
