Crops Available Right Now – The Following Crops Are Well Worth Considering & Ready For Delivery

Green Harvest Pacific

PO Box 43-188 Mangere, Auckland. 12 Brigade Rd, Mangere, Auckland Ltd Phone: +64-9-256 9228 / 0800 447 864 Fax: +64-9-257-3176 Website: www.greenharvest.co.nz Email: [email protected]

In this issue NEWSLETTER  Article – What Consumers Want  What’s available?  Flower Promotion February 2005  Stock  Hydrangea

What Consumers Want The last six weeks of business turmoil in Florida have me thinking about the elastic nature of markets. Elasticity of markets is an economic term that attempts to explain how flexible markets are based on aspects such as price, production and weather. Elasticity means that markets can contract as well as expand. When the hurricanes threatened Florida, people were interested in buying batteries and bottled water. The plant business was terrible. Okay, it was really, really terrible. Recently, while in our local Nordstrom, I asked the salesperson how business was around the hurricane. She said they lost a huge amount of sales. That made me feel a little better, but going into our local food chain and seeing shelves stripped of bread, water and many canned goods, while our stuff had hardly moved, was painful – extra, really, very painful. Economists say that a lot of different aspects market elasticity. Generally, when the price of something goes down, the volume goes up. This isn’t always true, however. Take tomatoes. If tomatoes are expensive, I won’t buy them. But if they’re cheap, I can buy only so many of them, because I can’t store fresh tomatoes. So where do we fit in the elastic market? It doesn’t matter how cheap our products are. People only have so much space or interest in filling their houses with plants. But if plants are too expensive, people won’t buy them. I think this is because we treat our products like tomatoes. If we position our products as commodities, then consumers correctly view them as commodities to be price shopped. For some time, many mass- market retailers have looked at plants as a volume product that’s part of the “We guarantee the lowest price, no matter how stupid that is” mantra. How many majesty palms will people buy? (I don’t mean to pick on this particular plant). My point is that huge numbers of these plants have been produced without regard to how many of them consumers actually want. Plants should be positioned as what they are: home décors and gifts. This would change consumers’ perceptions of our products from the commodities they are today. The funny thing is that consumers naturally think of these products as home décor and gifts; it’s the actions of producers and retailers that have altered consumers’ perceptions. In other words: We did this to ourselves. So how do we get out of the mess we’ve made? If you bang your head against a brick wall and get a headache, the best thing you can do is stop banging your head against the bricks. But we’re so used to the pain that many of us will never give up the wall. Part of our problem is that most growers plant huge crops with no idea whether or not consumers want them. Typical market research is composed of a conversation with the liner salesman about what seems to be in short supply. All of the product that no one really wants has to make its way through the market channels. Eventually, if it’s cheap enough, someone will buy it and try to retail it. The problem, however, is that when consumers don’t

Check our website: www.greenharvest.co.nz Head Office Free Phone 0800 447 864 Want something, they don’t want it. All that valuable retail space is taken up by stuff that consumers will never buy. Every grower and retailer is going to make a bad call from time to time on a product. If you don’t do that, you aren’t trying enough variation. The problem is that we can get seduced by price over and over again. The price of a product is irrelevant if consumers don’t want it. Okay, if it’s so easy, just what is it that consumers want? Well, they want what they buy. That’s the magic of the world’s largest retailer. They just keep track of the stuff that sells, and they stock more of it. Not exactly rocket science, but it makes money. The trick is to take assumptions out of the picture and live in the truth. So easy to say and so hard to do. The basics don’t change. I’ve been involved with some struggling companies on an advisory basis lately. The theme among them is that the problems were simple, but the owners wanted to focus on more interesting and complicated stuff. It’s boring to try to figure out what actual consumers want. That would mean we’d have to ask them. I’d rather talk to the young plant salesman, who’s pleasant and tells me want I want to hear. Kerry Herndon, Dec 04, Grower Tallks.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE? For immediate delivery There are a limited number of Anemone and Ranunculus corms available in the following colours. Anemone – Galilee Albino, Miron Albino Ranunculus – Friandine Gold, Carmine and Pink. Pauline Pink and Gold. Strelitzia – Great cut flower and foliage - can be grown outside in warmer climates, but best quality blooms are produced under cover. There are two grades available. Grade 1:$1.70 per plant + GST & freight. Grade 2: $2.70 per plant + GST & freight. Also available Statice – The Tissue Culture Statice has arrived and will be ready for delivery approximately mid-late February. Tissue Cultured plants give a strong, consistent growth and colour crop that will flower for 18 months. Plant at 5 - 7 plants per square metre. Statice does not like to be too wet and are prone to Botryitis if they are, so do be aware of this. The dark purple violet colours are still the most popular on the market. Both Sunday Violet and Exotic Violet plants are still available at $2.90 per plant + GST & freight. Place your order now. ANTIRRHINUM (SNAPDRAGON) Costa Series – The Costa snapdragon is a new concept in breeding from Holland of this ever popular cut flower variety. The Costas have been bred for cold growing conditions. The trials we have undertaken here in NZ have proved what a wonderful series this is. Under cold, low light winter conditions the Costa series has extremely strong robust stems with great uniformity of the flowers that are larger than the normal snapdragon varieties currently available. For winter cut flower production you can’t find anything better. Colours available are: Apricot, Bi coloured Yellow (new), Light Rose, Rose, Deep Rose, Magenta, Silver (light salmon pink), Velvet, White, Orchid (purple pink), Tri colour Rose (unusual & Nice) PRICE: $50.00 per 1000 seed + GST. FLOWER PROMOTION Tips for longer Flower Fun- GHP has had some cards (size of business cards) made up giving tips on flower care. If you would like some of these for your florist friends to give to customers or you are a grower that supplies direct to the consumer please contact us. Making a noise about fresh NZ flowers this Valentines Day The Northern Flower Growers Association are giving Kiwis plenty of reasons to show their feelings with fresh grown NZ flowers this Valentines. A major advertising and promotional campaign encouraging people to personalise the flowers they give to their own special relationship.

The campaign covers the 10 days leading up to February 14th and includes.....

 Large, eye-catching Adshell posters in Auckland, Hamilton, Hastings, Napier, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Wellington and Christchurch.

Check our website: www.greenharvest.co.nz Head Office Free Phone 0800 447 864  Postcards in restaurants and cafes throughout Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North and Christchurch  Fun, engaging radio promotions with bouquet give-aways in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.  Street teams out and about in Auckland reminding people to order their flowers early for Valentines Day.  Supporting articles in newspapers and magazines talking about the campaign and how flowers make the most heartfelt and flexible Valentines Day gesture. Tell your story with fresh NZ flowers this Valentines Day

I’m sure NFGA would appreciate your feedback at the end of the campaign, so do take note and send on to them your thoughts about how it went, especially the ‘highs’ of the campaign in your view. Evaluation from growers, florists, consumers etc is of utmost importance. Hopefully this promotion will lead on to higher flower sales, which is of benefit to all the industry.

It is with regret that Mavis Shuker will be leaving us at the end of February. I understand that Mavis wants to have a reduced work load, work closer to where she lives and perhaps have time to enjoy her own personal pursuits, like more time for family and on the water kayaking etc. Mavis has been a flower grower for 12 years and then worked for GHP for two years, so with this experience it will be hard to find a suitable replacement. We wish Mavis all the very best in her future endeavours.

 Lower North and South Island clients, please note Ron Williams new phone number - 0275 328 611

 Direct Banking – a reminder to emphasis how important it is to identify yourself when depositing. Please ensure that you use your name or buyer number (from invoice) as the code.

STOCK SEED

The seed has arrived from Japan for the 2005 season. The best flowering Stock varieties available. EXCITING NEWS 1ST time in New Zealand!!!! Selection of Double/single stock seed is now available on coloured seed Stock varieties. This will improve your returns by 40% per square meter of planted Stock varieties. PRICE 10 GRAMS OF SEED $250.00 + GST Plants ready to plant 14 days after selection. Phone us for more details.

Quartet Series- Spray type very popular available in White, Pink, Cherry, Lovely, Fantasy, Sunset, Deep Rose, Marine, Purple, Yellow, Rose Light Pink, NEW Sky Flash, Blue, Lavender, Red and Apricot. PRICED AT $12.50 PER GRAM + GST

New! Quartet White and Yellow Spark, 95% Double Flowering Spray Type PRICED AT $29.50 PER GRAM + GST

COLUMN VARIETIES- Kan Ou, Yellow Revolution 95% Double Flowering varieties PRICED AT $29.50 PER GRAM + GST Other colours available: Purple, Dark Lavender, very popular Marine Wave, red etc PRICED AT $12.50 PER GRAM + GST

New! Early Iron Series, excellent Quality, flowering spikes that do not elongate Along with very strong stems. Colours available: White, Deep Apricot, Deep Pink, Rose, Salmon Blue and Yellow. PRICED AT $11.50 PER GRAM + GST

Check our website: www.greenharvest.co.nz Head Office Free Phone 0800 447 864 HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA For CUT Flowers & Foliage. DUO VISION™  Dark Red Bicolour with whitish green edge  Tough flower petals  Can be grown under minimal shade  Excellent antique variety  Mid Season flowering  UNDER NON PROPAGATION & TRADE MARK AGREEMENT PRICE: $4.95 + GST and Freight ROMANTIC VISION™  Dark Crimson Red Bicolour with white edge  Tough flower petals  Good winter hardiness  Mid Season flowering  UNDER NON PROPAGATION AND TRADE MARK AGREEMENT PRICE: $4.95 + GST and Freight ANTIQUE VISION™  Flowers mostly a kind of special pink or red changing quickly to a high quality green antique  Very tough flowers. This variety is not advised to be grown in greenhouse. Excellent variety for outside in the open.  UNDER NON PROPAGATION AND TRADE MARK AGREEMENT PRICE: $4.95 + GST and Freight COLOUR VISION™  A beautiful hydrangea that has brilliant red foliage in late summer. So both the flower and foliage can be sold. The flower is a wonderful purplish pink colour with tough flower petals  Good winter hardiness  Grows better on soils that are not too heavy. Try to avoid heavy clay type.  UNDER NON PROPAGATION AND TRADE MARK AGREEMENT PRICE: $5.50 + GST & Freight GREEN SHADOW  This is a very beautiful hydrangea. Colour of the flowers is Greenish Red changing with age to Lime Green.  Good winter hardiness  Will produce quality blooms both outdoors and in greenhouse  Will grow in all soil types  UNDER NON PROPAGATION AND PVR AGREEMENT PRICE: $5.50 + GST & Freight VISION SERIES  Also available are a range of superb, clear plain colours - blue, red, purple, pink and white.  UNDER NON PROPAGATION AND TRADE MARK AGREEMENT PRICE: $4.95 + GST & Freight

Check our website: www.greenharvest.co.nz Head Office Free Phone 0800 447 864