Technical Visits

Rural Tours can arrange a variety of technical visits around New Zealand. We have many connections to organisations and businesses that are not normally accessible to the public.

Agricultural Visits
The content of agricultural technical visits is often dependent on the time of year. Below is a basic guide as the types of activities carried out each month on cattle and sheep farms.

Horticultural Visits
New Zealand is world famous for its high quality fresh fruit and vegetables. Harvest seasons may vary from year to year, and in different locations within New Zealand. See below.

  • CATTLE

    January
    Making hay & silage
    February
    Shifting Stock
    March
    Early Selling of Stock
    April
    Selling Stock
    May
    Selling Stock, Feeding Hay
    June
    Selling Stock, Feeding Hay
    July
    Selling Stock, Feeding Hay
    August
    Buying Stock
    September
    Buying Stock
    October
    Shifting Stock
    November
    Shifting Stock
    December
    Shifting Stock, Making hay

  • DAIRY

    January
    Making hay & silage
    February
    Shifting Stock
    March
    Early Selling of Stock
    April
    Selling Stock
    May
    Selling Stock, Feeding Hay
    June
    Selling Stock, Feeding Hay
    July
    Selling Stock, Feeding Hay
    August
    Buying Stock
    September
    Buying Stock
    October
    Shifting Stock
    November
    Shifting Stock
    December
    Shifting Stock, Making hay

  • SHEEP

    January
    Making hay & silage, drenching, shearing
    February
    Shearing, Breeding
    March
    Breeding
    April
    Breeding
    May
    Breeding
    June
    Shifting Stock
    July
    Shifting Stock
    August
    Feeding Hay, Lambing
    September
    Feeding Hay, Lambing
    October
    Docking Tails
    November
    Shearing, Weaning, Selling Stock
    December
    Shearing, Selling Stock

  • FRUIT/VEGETABLE

    HARVESTING MONTHS:
    Apples February - May
    Asparagus September - January
    Avocado November - February
    Cabbage All year round
    Carrots September - December
    Cauliflower All year round
    Eggplant January - April
    Feijoa April - June
    Kiwifruit April - May
    Lettuce December - March
    Mandarins April - October
    Nashi Pears February - March
    Nectarines January - March
    Onions December - May
    Oranges April - October
    Peaches January - March
    Pears January - March
    Pepinos March - July
    Persimmons May - July
    Potatoes November - March
    Red Onions January - April
    Rockmelon January - March
    Silverbeet All year round
    Squash January - April
    Strawberries November - January
    Sweetcorn January - March
    Tamarillos April - October
    Tangelos April - October
    Tomatoes January - March

 Special notes for horticultural technical visits:

Weather conditions may mean last minute changes to schedules.

Harvesting activities may only take place for a brief time during the season and cannot be pre-booked.

Due to health and safety regulations, some technical visit locations may not consider it safe for visitors to take part in or view the harvest.