Business North November 2021

| 25 Orchard Contracting and Developments REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Artificial shelter systems in demand T Karen Phelps OCD offers full design, layout and installation for anything from a greenfields site to retrofitting and repairs and maintenance of end assembly, ag beams and artificial shelters. Accurate and Timely Survey Solutions Horticulture and agriculture survey services, pre engineering topographic surveys, civil construction survey services. Surveying in civil construction for over 30 years. including topographical mapping from digital imagery and volumetric mapping to quantify materials. Our drone programme has taken off! libertysurveysolutions.co.nz 021 793 039 Don | 021 209 7008 Chrissy info@libertysurveysolutions.co.nz G rowth in demand from the kiwifruit in- dustry in the Bay of Plenty for artificial shelters has seen Orchard Contracting and Developments (OCD) expand rapidly. Company director Thomas Franklin esti- mates inadequate shelter could be costing some kiwifruit orchard owners tens of thou- sands of dollars each year in lost production meaning that installing an artificial shelter system pays for itself very rapidly, he says. Born and bred in the kiwifruit industry, Thomas started OCD several years ago after seeing surging demand for horticulture con- struction services. OCD offers full design, layout and instal- lation for anything from a greenfields site to retrofitting and repairs and maintenance of end assembly, ag beams and artificial shelters. Thomas says that the deep understand- ing of the industry and individual customer requirements that he and his team offer results in practical, cost efficient and effective solutions. The aim is to help clients create a sustainable and profitable system that deliv- ers maximum benefit. OCD specialises in offering the latest techniques and products. A case in point is the traditional shelter systems, which involve trees being planted to offer the shelter. Thom- as says this is highly inefficient and results in wasted land. Replacing this traditional method with an artificial shelter is relatively inexpensive when related to the likely improvement in yields and should often pay for itself within the first year. There is a lot to take into account and this is where the team from OCD can offer real value advising on the direction of prevailing wind to get wind up and over the orchard and not down on the vine canopy by using shelter cloth. If the shelter is too dense the wind will be sent bouncing off into the orchard in various directions creating strong eddy flows and tur- bulence and also increasing frost tendency. Thomas says that shelter must be permea- ble so the wind can filter through. Proper shel- ter also creates a warm microclimate essential for crop establishment and fruit quality. Experienced in all aspects of vine manage- ment and orchard establishment, Thomas leads a team of around eight staff. OCD has its own plant of tractors, post rammers and hydralada to get any job done. Thomas believes in creating a company cul- ture where the latest systems are put in place to ensure both his staff and OCD clients are looked after to the highest standard. Along with building quality orchards that help his clients get a return on their invest- ment, Thomas also believes that maintaining integrity and transparency with his clients are also keys to the success of OCD. Phone: 03 983 5500 waterfordpress.co.nz Your Business, Your Industry, Your News. DO OUR READERS KNOW YOU EXIST? OCD works with investors, landowners and existing growers. It offers on-going mainte- nance contracts and services to ensure that its clients’ orchards are always maintained to the highest standard. Thomas says that the kiwifruit sector is embarking on a bold new era with exciting technology and new scientific developments and OCD is dedicated to remaining at the forefront. “We are more than ready to capitalise on these opportunities. We have the people, the resources, the drive and the vision.” “We are more than ready to capitalise on these opportunities. We have the people, the resources, the drive and the vision.” grow, protect and succeed Born and bred in the kiwifruit industry, our team at Orchard Contracting and Developments has a deep understanding of what it takes to bring quality to the industry. Our versatile team is a tightly knit crew, who have combined their skills to create a horticultural construction company unlike any other. r r i t i ifr it i str , r t t r r tr ti l ts s rst i f t it t s t ri lit t t i str . r rs til t is ti tl it r , i t ir s ills t r t rti lt r l str ti li t r. enquire.ocd@gmail.com 027 571 1617 www.orcharddevelopments.co.nz