NZ Kiwifruit Growers Set for Higher Returns Despite Risks
Despite the ongoing bad news on the geopolitical front, New Zealand kiwifruit growers may be in for a good payout.
Zespri's SunGold or G3, has been named as fruit and vegetable product of the year by one of Germany's most important grocery trade publications.
Zespri's SunGold or G3, has been named as fruit and vegetable product of the year by Lebensmittel Praxis, one of Germany's most important grocery trade publications.
The award, which is based on a broad survey of consumers living in Germany aged between 18 and 65, had apparently only been won previously by vegetable products.
Zespri's marketing manager for Germany, Andreas Borgers, says they are really happy about this award, because it shows that we can inspire those who consume our products.
"Our goal for 2016 is to give more people the opportunity to try our Zespri SunGold, because taste and quality speak for themselves. Naturally that also means substantial potential sales for our trade partners," he says.
Borgers says in Germany a total of 65 promoters gave away around 165,000 individual SunGold kiwifruits to people in Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Berlin during special tasting events in May, June and July respectively.
He says these tastings were accompanied by wide-reaching PR and advertising campaigns, the latter featuring billboards, radio and television spots, collaborations with print and online media, social media promotions and other tactics described intriguingly by the company as 'guerilla activities'.
Two long-standing New Zealand agricultural businesses are coming together to strengthen innovation, local manufacturing capability, and access to essential farm inputs for farmers across the country.
A new farmer-led programme aimed at bringing young people into dairy farming is under way in Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
The Government has announced changes to stock exclusion regulations which it claims will cut unnecessary costs and inflexible rules while maintaining environmental protections.
Technology and the use of artificial intelligence are increasingly part of life, both on the farm and off it.
Ashleigh Gordon and Leilani Lobb have been named as the two finalists for Dairy Women's Network's (DWN) 2026 Regional Leader of the Year Award.
Animal and Plant Health New Zealand (APHANZ) says the approval of a new fungicide seed treatment is a positive, however growers will be hoping the final approval is completed ahead of the spring season.

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