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All growers packhouses and exporters who are involved in exporting persimmons from New Zealand, must register with the Persimmon Industry Council each year.
Registrations are now open, and can be accessed on line in the members area, menu item Persimmon Industry Council Registrations.
If you are having trouble getting into the members area and are exporting, please contact Ian (ian@nzpersimmons.org.nz).
I was interested in a recent story I saw from the UK’s Daily Express, about persimmons.
It was about “The immunity booster, which also aids weight loss, makes for a great midday snack or addition to your breakfast bowl”.
The column says: “Winters can be especially taxing on our immunity systems, as common ilnesses such as flu, cough, and cold are widespread. Viruses tend to be more active around this time of the year, urging us to take necessary measures to stay warm, healthy, and safe. An inexpensive winter fruit that helps this cause, is the persimmon.
Sports nutritionist Abigail Roberts explains, “In one 168-gram Japanese persimmon, you can consume 15 percent of your daily value of vitamin A, and 14 percent of your daily value of vitamin C. Along with generous amounts of vitamin E, K, B6 and potassium- essential for keeping a strong immune system.”
The immunity booster, which also aids weight loss, is only 0.3g of fat per serving, making it a great midday snack or addition to your breakfast bowl.
They are also high in polyphenols and help decrease blood sugar levels after meals, says Jackie Newgent, plant-forward chef and author of the book 1,000 Low-Calorie Recipes.
Thanks to HortNZ for the following information:
Settings for this Alert Level 4 are the same as those used last year in Level 4.
However, because this strain of Covid is far more virulent, more precautions need to be taken. The protocols adhered to last time need to be viewed as minimum standards.
Who can operate?
MPI is not registering businesses at this time.
Businesses involved in the below can operate:
• Primary industries (food and beverage production for both domestic consumption or export, plus the relevant support services) and veterinary and animal health and welfare services. It also includes businesses transporting freight.
• Pest management services, key elements of pulp and paper plants and solid fuel.
• Services involved in diagnostics for critical businesses or services like biosecurity, food safety, or public health.
However, independent retailers and greengrocers cannot open for customer access in Level 4 but can operate contactless delivery services.
Keeping safe
As above, more precautions need to be taken because the Covid delta variant is highly contagious. The Government is emphasising the following:
• Workplace bubbles are more important than last time. Watch that they are not broken before and after work, and at break times when people might want to gather together, by habit. For example, in the smoko room or around the tractor.
• Physical distancing is 2 metres. If you have staff within 2 metres and using Perspex screening, they must use masks as well.
• Wear a mask at all times. To and from work, and at work, and any time you are outside your home bubble.
• Temperature testing is strongly encouraged before people enter the work site. Staff with high temperatures must go home.
• People who are unwell must stay at home.
• Keep vulnerable people away from work at this time.
• Consider reducing workplace density so that there are fewer people on site to help with social distancing and mitigate risks
• Keep encouraging everyone to get vaccination
• But being vaccinated does not mean people will not contract Covid and more importantly, they can still be a carrier.
Boundaries/borders and travel
Boundaries/borders are likely to be needed. Borders will be established when needed, if different geographical areas of New Zealand are in diffeerent alert levels.
Like last time, travel letters are needed for staff in the event that Police stop them. There’s a template on the HortNZ website.
At this stage, registering with MBIE or carrying QR codes is not required. This is possible in the future when borders are established.
Financial assistance
This is what the Government has said but updates are expected:
The Government’s Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme will be available for businesses across New Zealand when there is a regional or national move to Alert Levels 3 and 4 for a period of seven days. The Wage Subsidy Scheme allows eligible employers anywhere in the country to apply for support if they expect a loss of 40 per cent of revenue as a result of the alert level increase. Businesses will be eligible for $600 per week per full-time equivalent employee, and $359 per week per part-time employee.
Export markets
To date, there has been no adverse reaction or increased protocols from any of our export markets.
MPI engagement
MPI is planning on checking in with growers, farmers and processors about workplace protocols. These will be over the phone, rather than in person.
In summary
Businesses must operate safely and meet COVID-19 requirements. For more information, please visit Unite Against Covid-19, the MBIE website and MPI’s website.
Please note, we have also been advised that ‘advice could change at short notice as the situation develops.’ If that happens, we will update you as soon as we can.
Please also keep an eye on the HortNZ website, which we will update regularly as more information comes to hand.
Kia Kaha, Stay safe
All growers packhouses and exporters who are involved in exporting persimmons from New Zealand, must register with the Persimmon Industry Council each year.
Registrations are now open, and can be accessed on line in the members area, menu item Persimmon Industry Council Registrations.
If you are having trouble getting into the members area and are exporting, please contact Ian (ian@nzpersimmons.org.nz).
The Northcote Export Restriction Zone in Northcote still remains in place.
This means any fruit travelling into Auckland on the northern motorway will need a covering declaration that it was pest proofed throughout the transit time, if it is to remain eliginle for export to most markets.
Available from this link, is a form that PIC has made availble for this purpose.
Ian Turk
The 2019 season is not too far away, and while most of us look forward to our persimmons fresh and crisp, they are a versatile fruit that can be used in many ways.
We really enjoy the 5 Plus a Day website, and recomend a visit there to start looking for ideas on how you could be using persimmons this year – www.5aday.co.nz
Two further male Queensland fruit fly have been found in Northcote this week, bringing the total to 6.
Head of Biosecurity New Zealand Roger Smith said the latest finds will mean an expansion of the controoled area zone in Northcote and associated restrictions on the movement of fruit, vegetables and green waste. The zone now extends south to the bottom of the Northcote Point.
The MPI teams on the ground will be removing fallen fruit from backyards, inspecting compost bins and placing bait on fruit trees to attract and kill adult flies, in particular females.
“There have been no further finds of Queensland fruit fly in Devonport since the only find there on February 14. However, because of the proximity to Northcote, MPI is continuing with movement controls and trapping there for the time being. We will reconsider next Friday whether this needs to continue further.
No further Facialis fruit fly have been found in Ōtara. Biosecurity New Zealand will review movement controls there at the end of next week.
Detailed maps of the controlled areas and a full description of the boundaries, and full information about the rules are available at biosecurity.govt.nz/fruitfly.
Controlled Areas have been issued for all 3 suburbs, to restrict the movement of certain fruit and vegetables out of the Controlled Area to help prevent the spread of any fruit flies if any are present.
In addition an Export Restriction Zone (ERZ) has been put in place in Northcote, and Otara. Any fruitfly host material (includes persimmons) needs to be pest prrofed while transiting these areas, if it is to remain eligible for export to countries which list the particular fruit fly species as a quarantine pest. Unfortunetly from the South, it is not possble to drive around the Otara ERZ.It is noted that 15km ERZ’s are in place for exports to China. ERZ’s will take longer to remove if no more fruit flies are found – persimmon exporters should be planning how to comply with the transport retsrictions for the coming season
As the 2019 season is approaching, and we start thinking of ways to use fresh persimmons, this story of persimon beer caught my eye – more so because of the history behind the American persimmon beer product.
The American persimmon (Diospyros Virginiana) is native to the United States, has been sweetening the country’s palate since before the “discovery” of the New World. Early English settlers recorded that the fruit was eaten on its own, baked into bread, cakes, and puddings. But its most common use might have been as persimmon beer, a sour style that’s currently enjoying a resurgence in Indiana.
Persimmon beer is making a comeback as brewers in southern Indiana attempt to experiment with indigenous fruits and to bring back lost recipes that were a part of the nation’s history. Persimmon beer now is often a sour pale ale, with top notes of persimmon, pear, and peach, and a fresh, dry finish.
click here for the original article – https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/persimmon-beer
An interesting article from Radio New Zealand, on persimmons as a quiet achiever for Gisborne growers.
The region grows 70% of the national crop, most of it is exported, and existing growers are increasing their plantings.
Read the RNZ article here
Remember Cheesecake? A nice article here from Viva with a number of cheesecake recipes, but in particular – Ricotta and Persimmon Baked Cheesecake. As the article says “This combination may sound fancy, but it really couldn’t be simpler. All it takes is a short list of ingredients and a few simple steps to enjoy this tempting dessert.
And the ingredients are:
Full article here.