Fastest-growing vegetable now available in stores
New Zealand's fastest- growing vegetable – which grows at an astonishing rate of up to 17cm a day in warm weather – is now available in supermarkets.
A new charity has been launched to get fresh fruit and vegetables to Kiwis in need.
Fairgrow, launched in Auckland this morning by fresh produce company T&G Fresh will collect surplus and donated fruit and vegetables from its business and across its 1,200 grower partners.
Andrew Keaney, managing director T&G Fresh says COVID-19 has turned many people’s lives upside down and right now large numbers of Kiwis are finding it difficult to provide healthy and nutritious food to their families, and this need is outstripping what’s currently being donated.
“As a country of nutritious fresh food producers, we want to provide people with a fair go and make the most of Aotearoa’s produce,” Keaney says.
“That’s where Fairgrow can help. We will capture and aggregate surplus and donated fruit and vegetables from across our 1,200 grower partners, as well as from our own business, thereby building a community of growers and partners who have a bit or a bunch to spare.”
National levels of food insecurity have risen sharply in recent months as many New Zealand families are facing increased financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. On the other hand, it is estimated $872 million worth of food is wasted annually – representing 122,500 tonnes sent to landfill.
“We know addressing food insecurity will require everyone, including business, Government and community groups, to work together and take collaborative action,’ says Keaney.
“Fairgrow will help with this by also raising funds to buy produce when it’s not in abundance or readily available, thereby providing Kiwis in need with greater availability throughout the year. Furthermore, at various times of the year, some produce might be left in the ground or on trees as it may not have a natural commercial home. Fairgrow will make financial contributions towards helping harvest and donate some of these crops.”
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
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