Badge of honour!
OPINION: This old mutt thinks New Zealand should take a bow after winning the ‘Fossil of the Day’ award at COP30…
Zespri is looking at everything that has gone wrong in the kiwifruit sector in the past two years, with the goal now to get things on track for 2024.
One long time kiwifruit business person is describing this and probably next year as the worst they can remember.
A major frost event which hit kiwifruit orchards in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions earlier this month is estimated to cause production losses of up to 25% this season.
Zespri is in the midst of a major and hastily convened review to find out about the sudden drop in the quality of SunGold kiwifruit during the past season.
Skyrocketing inflation both in NZ and in Zespri markets overseas is presenting new challenges for the kiwifruit sector.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI) will appeal a recent High Court decision that will allow a licence to grow SunGold Kiwifruit to be included in the value of land, and, therefore, growers’ property rates.
Labour shortages on orchards are beginning to impact the quality of New Zealand products in global markets.
Claims that NZ should have walked away from the EU FTA talks because the deal on beef and dairy was not up to expectations has been dismissed by government ministers, officials and some commentators.
As predicted by Rural News, New Zealand and the EU have concluded an historic and long awaited free trade agreement – a deal which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says will save us $100 million in tariffs in the first year the deal takes effect and a further $10 million in the future.
It's no wonder Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson had an extra bounce in his step while traipsing around the US with PM Jacinda Ardern and others on a recent trade mission to that country.

OPINION: This old mutt thinks New Zealand should take a bow after winning the ‘Fossil of the Day’ award at COP30…
OPINION: The Hound reckons the argument run by the ‘agribusiness elite’ that the market will punish our exports if we don’t…