NZ growers lead freshwater compliance
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says that commercial fruit and vegetable growers are getting ahead of freshwater farm plan regulations through its Growing Change project.
A recently released report showing Kiwis are buying more organic product from their local supermarket is good news.
The news is a welcome message for organic fruit and vegetable growers, says Horticulture New Zealand.
The Organics Aotearoa Organic Market Report 2016 shows continuing growth in markets for organic fresh fruit and vegetables, particularly in supermarkets, up 127% in four years.
"What is good about that figure for horticulture is it shows shoppers are thinking more about what they put in their shopping trollies," says HortNZ chief executive Mike Chapman.
"That's a good trend for all the producers serving the New Zealand domestic market.
"Buying organic goes hand-in-hand with buying healthy, and buying local. All of which we are here to encourage."
Horticulture products have always been key to growth in the New Zealand organics sector, which ranges across all kinds of food, beverages and other grocery and healthcare products.
Fresh fruit and vegetables account for more than 45% of total organic exports.
"What we need to see now is support from government to help with regulating labelling of these products, both as organic, and with their country of origin," Chapman says.
"Regardless of the strength in the domestic organics market, it is still totally unacceptable for Kiwi shoppers to have to try and figure out what 'organic' actually means."
The CEO of Apples and Pears NZ, Karen Morrish, says the strategic focus of her organisation is to improve grower returns.
A significant breakthrough in understanding facial eczema (FE) in livestock brings New Zealand closer to reducing the disease’s devastating impact on farmers, animals, and rural communities.
Farmer co-operative LIC has closed its satellite-backed pasture measurement platform – Space.
OPINION: The case of four Canterbury high country stations facing costly and complex consent hearing processes highlights the dilemma facing the farming sector as the country transitions into a replacement for the Resource Management Act (RMA).
The 2024-25 season apple harvest has “well and truly exceeded expectations”, says Apples and Pears NZ chief executive Karen Morrish.
Through collaborative efforts with exhibitors, visitors, and industry partners, Fieldays says it is reaffirming its commitment to environmental responsibility with new initiatives for 2025.
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