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.
Zespri's inaugural Kiwifruit Innovation Symposium in Mount Maunganui today will showcase leading science underway across the industry to a sold-out crowd.
Zespri general manager marketing & innovation, Carol Ward, says Zespri set up the event to profile the work underway across the industry, share findings and get industry input into directions and priorities for future research.
"This is an innovation conference for the industry and with the industry. By bringing our Zespri innovation leaders together along with so many of our research partners – the Riddet Institute, Plant & Food Research, KVH, Massey University and many more – we can show the industry the great work that's going on right across the industry," says Ward.
Zespri chief executive Lain Jager says the pace of change in the world is getting faster and innovation is a race.
"We need to innovate faster than the competition to stay relevant to our consumers and drive value back to our industry."
The new cultivar breeding programme accounts for more than half of Zespri's innovation funding – with over $20 million invested by Zespri, Plant & Food Research and the government each year – and has produced the game-changing SunGold (Gold3) and Hort16A varieties, adding nearly $4 billion to the NZ economy.
Bryan Parkes, operations manager for the Zespri Plant & Food Research breeding programme will update the audience on progress towards producing another revolutionary cultivar for the kiwifruit category.
Zespri says health communication is their key marketing platform with consumers. Zespri innovation leader Juliet Ansell will outline how consumers around the world connect health with food and how Zespri's investment in health research supports its premium, healthy position in the market.
Zespri says the work towards recognised regulatory health claims and scientifically-proven health benefits underpins this and gives the industry credibility with health professionals and consumers.
The programme also includes interactive workshops exploring topics like how a new green cultivar would be integrated into Zespri's portfolio, ways to transfer innovations quickly throughout the industry and how the industry can apply learnings from Psa to other biosecurity threats.
Exploring the limits of kiwifruit production will also be outlined – with yields tripling in the apple industry over the past 50 years, the kiwifruit industry has significant room for improvement.
Australian dairy farmers supplying Fonterra are getting an opening weighted average milk price of A$8.60/kgMS for the new season or around NZ$9.26/kgMS - NZ74c less than New Zealand suppliers, based on the current exchange rate.
Taranaki veterinarian Dr Rob Mills is the new president of New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA).
Input costs can make or break a season for farmers and electricity is one of the largest expenses.
Zespri says global sales for the 2024-25 season topped $5 billion on the back of strong demand and market returns.
Massey University is returning to the Fieldays with a future-focused, solution-driven theme, showcasing research that delivers practical advancements in agricultural efficiency, sustainability and longevity.
Newly appointed National Fieldays chief executive Richard Lindroos says his team is ready, excited and looking forward to delivering the four-day event next month.
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