“Our orchard has performed fantastically, it has gone from strength to strength. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Prospa.”
What influenced you to choose Prospa for your management service provider?
We decided to free up time to spend away from orchard. We were shareholders in EastPack and wanted to continue under that same umbrella so working with Prospa was easy. We ultimately wanted more free time for ourselves.
How well do you feel your orchard has performed under Prospa management?
Our orchard has performed fantastically, it has gone from strength to strength. We have had good yield numbers, and good fruit performance in CA too, we are really happy.
Our orchard gets frosted, but with Prospa involved, it is less stressful when we are frosted or face significant weather events as they have more control and are there to guide us, which is brilliant.
We are not completely hands off by any means, and we like to have input and be kept up to date. Prospa is collectively far more knowledgeable than we are, and we like the shared input and love being part of a team that we work alongside with.
How would you describe the relationship you have with your Orchard Manager?
We have a very good, trusted friendship with our Orchard Manager and Area Manager. They are awesome and extremely knowledgeable. Our Orchard Manager keeps in touch with us all the time, we like to be communicated with.
How much do you value the orchard performance reporting you receive from Prospa?
Prospa Orchard Performance reporting is excellent, we highly value them and can’t fault the reports. The reports work alongside the communication from the team, and we are very happy with that.
How effective do you feel your Orchard Manager is at producing the crop as cost efficiently as possible?
Our Orchard Manager is good at keeping the budgets under control and managing staff. We feel Prospa works quite hard at that. Kiwifruit is unpredictable and costs change, but we have confidence that when Prospa is doing jobs they are doing their best to keep costs under control. I like that if it ever is going to go over the budget, we are contacted and we discuss. There are no surprises, and very open communication on cost control. We can also call the accounting team if we need any clarity.
How well do you feel Prospa manages the Health & Safety and compliance requirements for your orchard?
All of our H&S and compliance requirements are taken care of, and we are comfortable with how they are being managed. Our GAP requirements are done well, and it takes a huge load off us. We have confidence that our H&S is up to date with Prospa too. This is another weight off us.
What do you like most about having Prospa manage your orchard?
Having Prospa manage our orchard, allows us more time off orchard. Our crop is being serviced in a professional manner and we can be involved as little or as much as we like, and the results are great!
What advice would you have for anyone considering partnering with Prospa?
You just have to look at the billboards showing the OGR results above industry to see how great Prospa is. The results show depth and knowledge in the team. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Prospa, we are very happy with them.