J I Howat
Administration of the business affairs of the Association has rapidly improved. Guidelines to Branches, dealing with Rules and procedures, membership processing, preparation of Branch Accounts, public relations and publicity, have been prepared and distributed.
A real effort has been made to increase communication with Branches and members. Our National Secretary, Toni Dinning, and National Treasurer, Warren Stevens, have now much more experience in running the Association's affairs, and I think this is clearly reflected in the way our National Office has run over the past year, and in the increase in membership from 1609 in March 1982 (the end or our 1961 financial year) to 2002 as at 31st December 1982 (the end of our 1982 financial year).
The Management members of the Association are small in number and limited in tine and expenses available, and themselves are frustrated that these limitations mean that we do not move forward as quickly as we would all like.
We have been severely hamstrung with regard to finance in recent years with increasing Journal costs. It is anticipated that our new Journal "Growing Today" will substantially reduce Journal costs to the Association and result in increased membership to the Association. Management Committee is concerned at the lack of funds available to provide more written material on Tree Crops available to members. Planning is under way for the production of a series of small low-cost booklets on specific crops - additional funds are necessary to achieve this.
An increase in membership is vital to provide further funds through subscriptions. We ask for your personal, and Branches, earnest support in increasing Association membership. The alternative is an increase in Association subscriptions.
It is your choice.
Your President or Island Vice Presidents are available for visits to Branches at your request. Branch visits in the past year by Management Committee members have been made as follows:
South Auckland - President, N.I. Vice-President, National Secretary
Auckland - President and National Secretary
Coromandel-Thames - N .I Vice-President
Central Districts - President and N.I. Vice-President
Nelson - President, N.I. Vice-President, National Secretary
Wellington -N.I. Vice-resident
Bay of Plenty - N.I. Vice-President
Northland -N.I. Vice-President
Gisborne - N.I Vice-President
Mawkes Bay - N.I. Vice-President
Wairarapa - N.I Vice-President
We have no records of Branch visits by the South Island Vice-President. We have a South Island Vice-President, Jolyn Manning, appointed last year, but he was not able to attend any of the Management Committee meetings or contribute much to the work of the Association.
Priorities - a few notes to give you some idea of the sort of things that Management Committee has been working upon.
Journal - this has obviously taken up a lot of time in discussion and organisation.
Increased communication with branches - some guides to Branch Secretaries and Treasurers as to things they can or should do.
Tree Recording - We ask for earnest consideration to prompt reply and attention to any matters raised with Branches by the Tree Registrar. Tree Recording is extremely important to the commercial development of any crops under consideration - it is the bottom tier of the pyramid of research. We can provide the base of selected local genetic material for current and future Scientific Research Education. We had a very successful seminar on the High Country organised by our Central Otago Branch. Auckland Branch ran a seminar on Pecans and Waikato Branch had a seminar on Chestnuts and one on shelter. The Technical Correspondence Institute Course "An Introductionn to Tree Crops" is under preparation and is expected to be available in September of this year - our sincere thanks to Bruce Treeby.
Quarantine and standards control have always been of concern to our Association. Through our North Island Vice-President Owen Long we have established contact with the quarantine authorities and efforts will continue pursuing quarantine and standards control matters with the relevant authorities.
Establishment of Research priorities and liaison with Government Research.
Little response has been received from Branches in response to our request for crop research priorities.
Planning and Direction of Crop Development.
A Hazel task force has been formed and it is anticipated that a Chestnut Task force will be formed this year. The work of a task force is to try and plan and direct development of a particular crop. As we become more experienced and more resources become available we shall consider appointment of further task forces, in particular for those crops which appear to have commercial prospects.
Publications relating to specific crops.
Preparation of expanded literature is under way - progress is largely hampered by lack of finance.
Publicity and Promotion.
The Association now has its own Logo.
We have engaged in a certain amount of publicity and promotion both to raise the public profile of our Association, and to increase memberships. Increased membership is the only way to increase our funds without increasing subscriptions. Canterbury Branch has produced excellent N.Z.T.C.A. Ties, Auckland Branch has produced N.Z.T.C.A T-Shirts, and Central Otago Branch has produced N.Z.T.C.A. Car Stickers. Congratulations and thanks to those branches for their cooperation and efforts.
Horticultural Export Development Committee - we have been very ably represented on that Committee by Hamish Deans our immediate past President. The Minister of Agriculture has acknowledged our contribution to that Committee.
Our Association is a member body of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Our representative to that Society has been Dr. Don McKenzie. We record our thanks to those two members for their assistance to the Association.
Management Committee are somewhat concerned with the apparent weakness in members and activities of some of our branches. It is up to you as members to do something about it if your Branch is not very active - have you volunteered your personal assistance?
I wish to record thanks to the many people who have assisted the Association in achieving its objects. I have time to only mention a few. I would specifically like to thank Tom Dinning our National Secretary and Warren Stevens our National Treasurer for all the time and commitment that they have put into our Association in the past year, also express our thanks to Gail our Secretarial Staff-person for her valued assistance. I would particularly like to thank David and Alison Ryde and Doug Davies for the journal. Those three people have basically been responsible for the editing and production of our journal to date. We have had problems with our journal, but I would like to make it clear that the problem has not been content, but rather production costs. I would publicly like to record the Association's thanks to David and Alison Ryde and also to Doug Davies.
I would like to thank Vernon Harrison, his own staff, and his Conference team for their production of one of the friendliest Conferences we have had to date. I would thank the speakers and participants at this Conference.
I would like to express my own personal gratitude for the tremendous support I have had from members of the Association.
Where is the New Zealand Tree Crops Association going?
The objects of our Association, as set out in our Rules are:
1 To promote Interest in Tree Crops generally
2. To encourage investigation into new crops and cultivars
3. To promote scientific research into the breeding and culture of tree crops
4. To promote standardjsation of cultivar names
5. To coordinate and provide information on the growing of Tree Crops
6. To disseminate information through publications, meetings and conferences
7. To promote the concept of multi-tier farming.
As our Association has developed we should perhaps now add a further two.
a) To promote better utilisation of our land, people, climate, local genetjc material and imported resources
b) To evaluate the establishment of commercial production of nuts and new fruits in New Zealand.
I personally look upon N.Z.T.C.A. as the amateur promotion, research, education, and evaluation front for the Fruitgrowers Federation and the Apple and Pear Marketing Board. When any of the fruits that we have under consideration become commercial crops then they will come under the wing of the fruitgrowers Federation or the Apple and Pear Marketing Board. I can not see N.Z.T.C.A. being involved in the commercial development of fruit crops, so I see no conflict between the interests of our Association and those of the Fruitgrowers Federation and the Apple and Pear Marketing Board.
I appreciate that some members are concerned with our apparent emphasis on commercial aspects of Tree Crops. The commercial prospects are the prime incentive to work on new and old crops. No money will be put into research unless there is a chance of financial return. The information and improved crop material available through research and commercial enterprise are the spin-off for the non-commercial member.
Horticulture exports earned New Zealand just over $200 million In the 1981-1982 year. That was almost $50 million increase on the previous 12 months. What will horticulture earn us overseas in the year 2000? Few experts are brave enough to predict earnings one or two years ahead, let alone 17 or 18.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Shearer, has said that by 1990, horticulture will earn $1000 million abroad. Dr. E.G. Bollard, former director of the D.S.I.R.'s Division of Horticulture and Processing, Mt. Albert Research Centre believes horticulture will earn $1600 million overseas by the year 2000.
Apart from existing pip and stone fruits, citrus, berryfrujt, and kiwifruit, what are other potential export earners?
Tamarillos, Feijoas, Avocados, Passionfruit, Grapes, Mountain Papaya, Babaco, Casana, Cherimoya, Casintiroa, Lychee, Nashi, Persimmons, Sour Cherries, Prunes, Loquats, Pepino, Figs, Guava, Macadamias, Pecans, Chestnuts, Walnuts, Hazels etc.
These may provide our "Visible" export earnings.
What about our "invisible" export earnings?
I think particularly of aspects related to our pastoral farming exports.
Can we reduce drought stresses through better use of better shelter and use of stock forage?
Can we improve the "wild" flavour of our grass fed deer by use of supplementary flavour roughage foods such as Oaks, Chestnuts, Honey Locusts, Carobs, Tree Lucerne etc?
Can we reduce pasture costs of summer drought moisture loss through more effective use of shelter and shade?
Can we reduce animal feed costs by "self-service" foods? e.g. Cattle eating Honey Locust pods off the ground. Summer browse areas of Tree Lucerne, Tree Medic, willows etc.
Can we improve animal health by a more varied diet? - "excitement" in diet to the animal - additional roughage, additional minerals and vitamins - remember our animals are by nature grazing and browsing beasts.
Can we increase land production and utilisation through more considered amalgamation of Agriculture, Silviculture, and Horticulture? i.e. Multi-tier farming.
I believe that these aspects cover a moat important contribution that N.Z.T.C.A. experience, encouragement, and publication, can make to our National Economy.
Under general business, later in this meeting, I shall be calling for the following two resolutions from this Association.
1. That Government be requested to increase investment into research on animal forage arid fodder trees.
2. That Government be requested to increase investment into research and advisory services on farm shelter.
J. I. Howat
PRESIDENT.