Zespri Breaks Records with $5.9 Billion in Global Kiwifruit Sales
Zespri's sales of kiwifruit for the 2025 season have broken all past records.
State farmer Pāmu (Landcorp) has announced it will pay a $10 million special dividend to the Crown off the back of a strong outlook for the business and a capital repayment of $9.5 million following Fonterra's consumer business sale.
The special dividend is separate from Pāmu’s standard dividend policy and reflects a non-operating capital receipt, rather than core trading activity.
Including the special dividend, Pāmu will have paid $25 million in dividends to the Crown in the 2025/26 financial year.
Mark Leslie, chief executive of Pāmu, says the payment is reflective of disciplined capital management and continued balance sheet resilience.
"Strong performance across the business has delivered a net operating profit of $26 million at the half year, with Pāmu on track for a record full-year profit of between $97 million and $107 million," Leslie says.
"As we reach the midpoint of our five-year reset, this performance has given the board confidence to make this payment," he adds.
Leslie says that in the past three years the state farmer has focused on lifting on-farm performance, improving productivity, and running a tighter, more disciplined business.
"The results we're seeing reflect the commitment and hard work of our teams across the country," he says.
"As a State-Owned Enterprise, Pāmu manages its land and farming portfolio to deliver a financial return, return land under Te Tiriti o Waitangi settlements, and grow the future of agriculture for generations of New Zealanders," Leslie says.
"Our strong commercial performance requires high people, environmental, and animal welfare outcomes, as well as responsibility for the communities in which we operate."
Forestry Minister Todd McClay has today congratulated the winners of the 2026 Growing Native Forests Champions Awards at Fieldays.
The Government has announced $60,000 to provide one-off grants of $1,000 to each of the 60 New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) clubs across the country.
New Zealand’s rural sector has once again demonstrated its generosity, with the second Rural Industry Leaders Dinner, Debate and Auction raising an impressive $400,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
There has been another twist to the Federated Farmers annual election fiasco.
Analysis of decades of research has revealed the implementation of good farming practices plays a critical role in reducing nutrient losses to improve freshwater outcomes.
Yesterday the Government used the opening of Fieldays to announce a major investment, as part of its Land Use Flexibility package, to support a more productive and sustainable future across six sectors including dairy.

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