Ōpōtiki grower wins 2025 Kiwifruit Innovation Award
Brett Wotton, an Eastern Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower and harvest contractor, has won the 2025 Kiwifruit Innovation Award for his work to support lifting fruit quality across the industry.
In a matter of days, kiwifruit growers organisation (NZKGI) chief executive Nikki Johnson will leave her role at NZKGI.
Johnson is moving to Zespri to take up the role of strategic projects manager, based in the company's office in Bologna, Italy. She's been with NZKGI since 2016.
Johnson says the new role is an opportunity for her to stay in kiwifruit.
"It's also a good opportunity to take my knowledge of kiwifruit and do something different with it.The role is looking across the northern hemisphere business - Japan, Korea, France, Greece, Italy and the north Americas, where there are trials or full production taking place under the Zespri brands.
she told Hort News."I've always wanted to live overseas and in Italy so it's two good outcomes," she says.
With the current situation in the European farm machinery market being described as difficult at best, it’s perhaps no surprise that the upcoming AgriSIMA 2026 agricultural machinery exhibition, scheduled for February 2026 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, has been cancelled.
The Meat Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA) has launched the first in-market activation of the refreshed Taste Pure Nature country-of-origin brand with an exclusive pop-up restaurant experience in Shanghai.
Jayna Wadsworth, daughter of the late New Zealand wicketkeeper Ken Wadsworth, has launched an auction of cricket memorabilia to raise funds for I Am Hope's youth mental health work.
As we move into the 2025/26 growing season, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that the third quarter results for the year to date is showing that the stagnated tractor market of the last 18 months is showing signs of recovery.
DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown is urging dairy farmers to participate in the 2026 Levy vote, to be held early next year.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling for nominations for director roles in the Eastern North Island and Southern South Island electoral districts.

OPINION: Every time politicians come up with an investment scheme where they're going to have a crack at 'picking winners'…
OPINION: What are the unions for these days?