EXTREME weather events are the bane of farmers everywhere, but the climate change cloud has a silver lining if you are manufacturing devices that help reduce the impact that such events can have on production.

So it is for Kiwi company NZ Frost Fans, established supplier of fans to protect horticulture from cold weather in Australia and New Zealand, which is now looking at growing its international business serving growers worldwide who have been hit by unexpected cold snaps.

The company has been manufacturing its FrostBoss range since 1995. Now the largest player on that market, the current financial year's revenue has increased to more than NZ$40 million – and CEO Steve Haslett reckons that success will continue as horticultural demand for protection from frosts is going nowhere but upwards.

“We see huge growth opportunity in front of us, particularly in places like Europe and South America where climate change is increasingly delivering more extreme weather events and damaging frosts,” said Mr Haslett. “You look at, say, Europe’s top three producers – Spain, Turkey and Italy – and at 3% penetration by frost fans, that’s a market opportunity for more than 20,000 fans. Add in South American countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile – on the same basis and there’s potential for another 8000 machines. Our proven ability to provide more efficient and reliable – and quieter – solutions is a significant advantage we can bring to these markets.”

Reflecting on experience in Australia and New Zealand, Mr Haslett said that horticulturalists have traditionally gambled on the weather, with good crops in most years and catastrophic losses from time to time being taken 'on the chin': “The dynamics are different from region to region and crop to crop, but in frost-prone areas with high value crops the scale of losses can hit growers hard. In those places, the economics of our offering become more and more compelling because it’s more reliable and cost-effective than the alternatives."