Kiwifruit orchard foreman Dave Trafford has stated that an early October frost has caused quite a lot of damage in the Ōmanawa orchard. While the cold snap brought snow to the South Island and isolated parts of the North, the cold air moved up. Trafford said their other orchards in Te Puke and Paengaroa had frost protection, including overhead sprinklers that saved the buds. It was there the attention was turned as the frost settled that early morning. He said it was hard to find people right across the Western Bay of Plenty who weren’t affected.

Source: New Zealand Herald October 31, 2022 19:29 UTC