Zespri global sales top $5 billion for 2024–25 season amid strong demand
Zespri says global sales for the 2024-25 season topped $5 billion on the back of strong demand and market returns.
Demand will rise for existing kiwifruit orchards as a result of Zespri granting its annual quota of new licences for the gold kiwifruit variety, claims a rural property salesman.
Stan Robb, of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Te Puke, says demand for the licences has been keen.
“Zespri [says licences for] 700ha of gold kiwifruit and 50ha of organic gold have been issued for the 2019-20 growing season,” Robb says.
“With a total of 750ha of licences available, applications totalled 1848ha, so the offer was almost 2.5 times oversubscribed.”
About 54% of the allocated licences are for new developments. Growers paid a median price for the licences of $290,000+gst/ha.
“Many growers, in particular the larger ones, were planning to add to their current operations. But it appears that most of the new licences have gone to smaller developments,” Robb says.
“Those larger operators are growing green kiwifruit, planning to cut them over and graft the vines with the gold variety. Clearly, as they have not been granted licences, they will need to wait another 12 months to implement their plans and will likely bid higher to secure the 2020 licences.”
Premium orchards already growing gold kiwifruit are now selling for $1.2 million per canopy hectare, while high producing green kiwifruit properties are selling as high as $500,000 per canopy hectare.
Depending on locality, bare land blocks suitable for kiwifruit in Bay of Plenty are valued from $200,000 per hectare.
Robb says the unsatisfied demand for gold kiwifruit licences will hold the price for existing orchards.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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