| 15 HORTICULTURE » Clyde Orchards Clyde Orchards - Packing and cool store. The Cravo system includes its own weather station and operates automatically within specified parameters which take into account temperature, wind, humidity and rain. In addition to protecting the crops, it also allows harvest dates to be manipulated to a degree, which creates market advantages, Kris says. “We built the first 2.8 hectare one in 2018 and we built a 3.5 hectare one in 2019 for the purpose of growing early season cherries; it’s extending our growing season.” A further significant benefit has been cherries that have met export quality standards have increased to 90% compared with 75% of those grown outdoors while the size of the cherries has increased. “At key points of the growing cycle we are able to manipulate the environment that’s conducive to good fruit throughout the growing cycle; in particular that early fruit set, cell division stage, giving us extra volume and size as well as having full protection from rain prior to harvest” “That extra volume of fruit that goes to export gives us premium returns, that’s significant but it’s also significant from an environmental sustainability point of view where its reducing waste and using our inputs far more efficiently.” Cherry varieties which cycle through the harvest season from early December are Picnic, Lapin, Rainer, Kordia, Sweetheart, Skeena and Staccato. Clyde Orchards has exclusive rights to grow Flatto peaches in New Zealand. The white-fleshed peach is low in acidity and sweeter than yellow peaches, have very little fuzz and a small stone, making them easy to eat and their flat shape makes them ideally shaped for a lunch box. The Flatto range has expanded to include Flatto White and Flatto gold which are available from supermarkets from February to mid-March. Coming Soon - Cravo’s new Automatic Retractable Orchard Rain Cover - Auto-Dry ™ www.cravo.com For your c EB Engineering Solutions are proud to support Clyde Orchards ustom Cherry Packhouse solution contact Greg or Nick on 0800 228 082 www.ebengineering.co.nz Helping you move, grade, size, weigh and pack Cherries – from the orchard, to the box, to the pallet.
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