News and Insights

In a significant development for the New Zealand kiwifruit industry, the nation has entered into a free trade agreement with the European Union (EU).

With some of our RSE teams contracts finishing, it’s time we say goodbye and thanks to those who have helped some of those that have helped us achieve world class outcomes

It’s been a hectic period for our cropping orchards over November

Spring is a season of rebirth and renewal, and nowhere is this more evident than in kiwifruit orchards around the world

At SCH, we value our staff, and invest in personal and talent development

During spring when the flowers begin to open, the bees and orchard managers are working hard to ensure a successful pollination in the orchards

After a season like the southern hemisphere kiwifruit industry had with severe frosts, cyclones, severe rain events, low sunlight hours, and poor pollination, the northern hemisphere is making up for Zespri’s 12-month supply

At SCH, we are constantly looking to support our team and the wider community which includes sponsoring overseas nations

Now that the buds on the orchard have pushed out shoots and leaves, we get to project our crop loads and targets

The Zespri Aims Games, held annually in New Zealand, is the largest multi-sport event for intermediate-aged athletes in the Southern Hemisphere

Southern Cross Horticulture has a huge community focus. With this in mind we are sharing our knowledge and taking our skills to schools within the community

Our kiwifruit vines are pushing out new buds. Because of this, it is an important season for orchards to be protected from nature such as birds, snails, and frost

Every year, the picturesque landscapes of New Zealand witness a celebration of passion, innovation, and dedication in the form of the Young Grower of the Year competition.

The 2022/23 season was one to remember for growers around the country with what has been described as the worst season on record to grow kiwifruit. This included a combination of severe rain events, low sunlight hours for photosynthesis, poor pollination, low floral activity due to a warm winter, hail events, and many more.

In the orchard over the next few months, we plan to start setting up our canopy in both establishment and cropping blocks to produce for the 2023/24 season. This is an important time of the year as it lays the foundations for yields and quality for the next year.

Our mission is to Create and Manage World Class orchards… along with much more!

Harvest season is in full swing at Southern Cross Horticulture, and so far ~80% of our orchards have been picked. SCH currently employ 100 SLU (Seasonal Labour Unit) pickers to ensure a quality and efficient harvest.

Cyclone Gabrielle hit the Hawkes Bay on the 14 Feb, flooding a massive portion of the fruit producing areas as well as displacing many people from their homes.

As some of us know, quite a few of our Construction team members are from the Philippines. Finally, they could fly back home after the pandemic to visit their families.

Shelter is an important aspect of kiwifruit orchard management in New Zealand. It helps protect crops from wind damage, reduces the risk of defoliation...

Jan and Garth from Oaklands are continuing to make a name for themselves and SCH in the Auckland growing region.

The sun has finally decided to show itself in the Bay of Plenty and Southern Cross Horticulture is using every hour to complete outstanding summer planting projects

Pollen harvesting is coming to an end for the 2022 season. At SCH we’ve currently harvested around 420kgs of flowers, which is equivalent to approximately 4.20kg of pollen.

Southern Cross Horticulture is a proud sponsor of the Ohope Beach region of Surfing for Farmers. This initiative was set up to provide farmers (including orchardists!) with an excuse to get off farm, learn a new skill and socialise with other like-minded people.

We are proud to introduce the new Repairs and Maintenance (R&M) team, led by Grant Bradley, who are focused on maintaining and fixing all things orchard and general infrastructure related.

We had a fun, happy and beautiful afternoon on September 23rd when we celebrated our first SCH awards!

Like many tasks on the orcharding calendar, pollination is one of the most important. Pollination is in full swing at SCH and the bees are working their magic around our sites.

SCH’s Sarah Davidson has teams up with Edgecumbe College’s Horticulture class to provide students with a hands-on learning experience like no other.

For the 2022/2023 growing season a new method of crop monitoring is being trialed at SCH.

SCH supports Joel and Audra, who have opened their Whakatane home to under privileged youth who need a safe environment, pastoral care, food, and a happy, healthy place to be that helps guide and support them through a difficult period in their lives.

Through providing employment opportunities to our RSE, we enable them to save and provide medical services, food, clothing, shelter and schooling for their children and villages where they would otherwise live in poverty.

SCH has donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters which has enabled many mentees to attend events in their region, helped provide resources and fun activities.

Southern Cross Horticulture (SCH) wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas a Happy New Year!

Southern Cross Horticulture (SCH) is proud to have sponsored the Tauranga Boys College (TBC) model educational orchard in the middle of Tauranga city.

Zespri has announced the 2022 season preferred fruit size based on market demand and reported that size 39's will become Non-Standard Supply.

An update on the Zespri 2020/21 season including production, sales, grower payments, and shareholder dividends.

The SCH Spring Strategy Field Day last month involved teams meeting on orchard to discuss the upcoming spring season and start planning their management strategies.

Frost protection using overhead sprinklers and frost fans is a key element in protecting kiwifruit vines from frost damage.

The growth of Southern Cross Horticulture has seen a new structure in our executive team, learn more about these changes.

Meet Christine Nelson, and learn about her journey at SCH from a greenhouse supervisor to Nursery Business Manager.

SCH was a proud bronze sponsor of the 2021 BOP Young Grower of the Year Competition.

Southern Cross Horticulture’s Quintin Swanepoel, recently placed 3rd at the Bay of Plenty Young Grower Competition.

SCH’s is committed to developing the future capability of the kiwifruit industry and showcasing our world class kiwifruit orchards to high school students.

Southern Cross Horticulture’s Megan Fox has recently featured in the news as part of Horticulture NZ’s submission to the NZ Parliament Primary Production Committee.

Meet Carl Officer and learn about his journey at SCH from a nursery site manager to SLU Field Operations Manager.

Meet Klemen Mrak, Commercial Manager, and learn about his journey from arriving as a backpacker to becoming a manger.

Meet Eleandro Pinto, Establishment Manager, and learn about how he’s grown as the company has.

Meet Mike Worthington, Machinery and Maintenance Engineer, and learn about his role within Southern Cross Horticulture.

The harvest season has started for the Southern Cross Horticulture Cropping team.

Meet Michaela Horcinova our Seasonal Labour Unit (SLU) Partner and know her journey with Southern Cross Horticulture.

At Southern Cross Horticulture we love to give back to our community and stay true to our purpose of enhancing lives.

What is grafting and how SCH Nurseries does it.

Grafting in greenhouses is most successful in summer months compared to winter grafting in orchards.

Why girdling is done?

Pre-harvest thinning helps with packhouse efficiencies, but does it also make financial sense for the grower?

Wind protection is one of the key elements to get to first crop fast.

What is SCH doing to attract and retain people?

The key activity in establishing kiwifruit vines at this time of the season is graft care.

When choosing a Kiwifruit variety, there are several key questions you will need to answer...

Looking to buy kiwifruit plants in New Zealand, but don’t know where to start? Read our step-by-step guide on how to purchase high quality kiwifruit plants in New Zealand, including what licenses are required.

In addition to our strong focus on employing New Zealanders, a key aspect of enhancing lives has been the inclusion of Kiribati workers under the Recognized Seasonal Worker program.

At Southern Cross Horticulture we go above and beyond to ensure that our kiwifruit vines are bigger, stronger and faster cropping plants than those found in other nurseries.

KVH nurseries are certified as being pest-free and disease-free and this is an essential element for successful kiwifruit vine establishment.

Golden kiwifruit orchards deliver great return on investment. Find out more about how you can achieve this with a Golden kiwifruit orchard.

Southern Cross Horticulture offer KiwiFruit Orchard Management Services – From propagation through to harvesting, we focus on bringing in that important first crop and delivering top long term results.

When you’re planning to establish a new kiwifruit orchard, one of the basic key ingredients is a selection of healthy rootstock plants.

An increasing number of Dairyfarm owners are looking to repurpose their land use from dairying to growing golden KiwiFruit. We have put together a step by step guide on how you can do this too.

The team at Southern Cross Horticulture can help you establish a world-class orchard development. Our orchards consistently produce yields far higher than the industry average.

Looking to buy kiwifruit plants or vines? Our KVH accredited nurseries specialise in the production and supply of high quality grafted kiwifruit plants for orchards.