| 59 RJ Flowers Orchard HORTICULTURE R J Flowers Orchard is a family business part-owned and operated by John and Wendy Evans. Knowing the unique needs of each client Hawke's Bay-based irrigation management specialist Tipu Services has built its reputation on understanding the unique needs of each client. "Facilitating long-term relationships boils down to communication, getting to know clients and their businesses and individual needs," explains Mel Smith, owner of Tipu Services, who has been working in the sector for over two decades. This philosophy has helped the company maintain valuable partnerships with clients like RJ Flowers, which Mel has worked with for more than 20 years. "I meet with RJ Flowers each year to ind out what we can do for them and how we can do things better," says Mel. "We are always looking at how we can add value to our clients' businesses." Operating throughout Gisborne, Central Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and Manawatu, Tipu Services o ers comprehensive soil moisture monitoring and irrigator performance assessments. Its small but knowledgeable team consists of Mel, sta member Hayden Kelly and seasonal workers during busy periods. The company's service portfolio includes irrigation system evaluation, neutron probe services, independent soil moisture advice and equipment installation and maintenance. It tests various irrigation systems from pivots and laterals to drip micro and e luent systems, providing important data on application rates, system pressure and distribution uniformity. These technical services form the backbone of what Tipu Services o ers but it's the personal touch that clients value most. By conducting weekly soil moisture measurements and providing on-farm advice and training, it enables growers to make informed irrigation management decisions, ultimately leading to better crops and more e icient water usage. "We aim to keep things simple – delivering what our clients need and making it easy for them. We work with clients individually as di erent clients require di erent things. They may be growing similar things and under similar conditions but the way they manage things can be quite di erent," she says. The company also works with several regional councils including Waikato, Horizons, Greater Wellington and Auckland, maintaining their soil moisture network sensors. Beyond its core services, Tipu Services has expanded its o erings to include additional data for resource consents and water meter veri ication, demonstrating its commitment to evolving alongside client needs. Mel says that through its commitment to building strong relationships and delivering practical solutions, Tipu Services has positioned itself as an essential partner to clients throughout the North Island, ensuring their irrigation systems operate at peak e iciency and assisting them in making better-informed decisions and running their businesses smarter. NORTH ISLAND INDEPENDENT IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES, BASED IN HAWKES BAY, NEW ZEALAND HOW CAN WE HELP? WWW.TIPUSERVICES.CO.NZ • Irrigation System Evaluation • Neutron Probe Services • Independant Soil Moisture Advice • Installation & Maintenance of Equipment And COVID wasn’t the only event that’s occurred. Much closer to home was the impact Cyclone Gabrielle brought to the region early February 2023, however John is the first to acknowledge that compared with many, his orchard and plant got off relatively lightly. “We were caught up, but on the edge. Our family all live nearby and the houses were flooded and our accommodation village was within millimetres of water broaching inside.” Harvesting of fruit ceased for a week and the team set up a community hub at their work place providing meals and somewhere for people to sleep while houses were cleared out. “After a week I realised we also had to focus on ourselves and we got back into harvesting. The ground was slop. It didn’t harden, didn’t dry out, so we had to walk in the rows to pick the fruit as machinery wouldn’t have worked. We’d bring back a bucket full of fruit at a time. It was a phenomenal effort from our staff. We worked 11 Sunday’s in a row that harvest, and the team took breaks when the weather wasn’t good,” John recalls. A line where the water came up to on the trees was marked and all fruit under this line was picked and left on the ground, due to concerns about contamination. John says its taken two years to deal with the impact of so much water in the orchards. “We’ve improved drainage, focussing on improving soil and we’ve also pulled out some trees, but we kept saying we were lucky.” John also says having the mix of fruit they grow and supply has proven to be so important, with the pears coming through relatively well, apples doing OK and the kiwifruit not coping well at all. When Business Central spoke with John in April, activity was in full flight with a team of 80 flat-out picking approximately 300 bins of envy apples each day. “They look absolutely stunning, however the volume is putting pressure on logistics. Everyone is putting their best foot forward to get the crop off in the best possible condition.” Times have moved forward too, in terms of staff engaged, with now three women helping in the office on a part-time basis enabling Wendy to take a much earned step back. “One is our daughter and as a team they’re working so well.”
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