KiwiBrothersTM make their China debut
Zespri has unveiled the award-winning KiwiBrothersTM mascots in China for the first time to market its large kiwifruit crop.
It’s early days yet, but there are promising signs of it being another good year for kiwifruit.
Zespri’s chief grower and alliances officer, Dave Courtney told Rural News that the feedback from growers on the state of the vines is very positive.
He says towards the end of last year, flower numbers and pollination was looking good. He’s heard nothing that would suggest there were any problems.
This news comes on the back of a good season for Zespri, which for the first time saw more gold kiwifruit sold in the market that the traditional green variety. Courtney says that the higher price paid in the market for gold meant that grower returns were better than in past years.
And with more gold being planted, all being well, returns to growers will continue to increase.
“Last season saw volumes slightly down on the previous season and the size of fruit was also smaller. But the quality was better and the season started earlier which allowed us to put strong volumes into the marketplace and that continued throughout the year.
Courtney says Zespri plans to release more licenses for Gold this year and for the coming two years. He says there is good demand for the fruit based on market signals and Zespri has to be nimble enough to manage the growth in demand. But he concedes that there will come a point when this may slow.
Courtney adds that work is also being done in the plant breeding programme to develop a green kiwi fruit which is ‘ready to eat’ when it reaches supermarket shelves.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
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