James Blair Named 2026 Young Grower National Champion
James Blair, an agronomist for AS Wilcox and the Pukekohe regional champion, has won the 2026 Young Grower national title.
Japan and South Korea import almost no apples from New Zealand.
At the recent NZ Apples and Pears conference, calls were made for the Government to open access to these two lucrative markets.
NZAPI chief executive Danielle Adsett told Rural News that New Zealand currently has market access for apples to Japan, however it is limited by strict technical requirements.
Japan is an important market for New Zealand exporters and New Zealand supplies fruit in the counter season to Japan, which supports domestic production and keeps prices stable year-round, she says.
"Improving access conditions to Japan would result in better diversification for New Zealand exporters and would allow our exporters to continue building strong and enduring relationships in the market.
"In the meantime, NZAPI will continue to work with MPI to provide robust technical data to support our request for improved access conditions."
With South Korea, it's not just the apple sector that is waiting for market access.
New Zealand has had a free trade agreement with the Republic of Korea since 2015, however this excludes market access for apples and pears.
The FTA has not been reviewed and this leaves many of our primary products shut out of the market.
Rural News understands the South Koreans aren't keen on reviewing the FTA.
Adsett says, currently, Korea does not import apples from any country, however we remain interested in partnering with Korea should an opportunity rise.
"Again, this would be with aspirations to complement their domestic supply, not to compete with local growers.
"The New Zealand apple and pear industry has a lot in common with these markets - we all grow moderate volumes of premium apples, we all have passionate growers who are committed to innovation, and we are island nations dedicated to robust biosecurity practices to protect our crops from unwanted pest and disease.
"Our relationships in Japan and Korea run far deeper than just the export of apples and we are excited to continue exploring avenues to engage."
She says the New Zealand apple and pear industry supports any endeavours to improve access for New Zealand apples to Japan, as well as any steps to secure access to South Korea.
"We do, however, acknowledge that these are complex issues to tackle and change won't happen overnight."
