Season's first kiwifruit China bound
Zespri's first charter shipment of the 2024 New Zealand kiwifruit season is on its way to Shanghai.
Gold kiwifruit continues to dominate fruit exports in an otherwise challenging market, according to recent Stats NZ figures.
In the year ended November 2021, gold kiwifruit made up 47% ($1.9 billion) of total fruit export value, while green kiwifruit made up 23% ($923 million).
Stats NZ says both increases were quantity driven, with prices falling compared with a year ago. Gold kiwifruit has a traditionally higher unit price than the green variety.
Since the kiwifruit season in 2016, which is typically from March to November, gold has overtaken green in terms of value. In the 2020 season, gold kiwifruit also overtook green in terms of volume.
"While green kiwifruit continues to be in high demand, growers in New Zealand are increasingly planting gold, and now red kiwifruit, to capture greater export value in markets like China and Japan," international trade manager Alasdair Allen says.
Total fruit exports remained relatively flat, up 1.3% in the year ended November 2021 - compared with November 2020. Kiwifruit made up 71%($2.8 billion) of the total value of fruit exports, whil apples made up 21% ($843 million).
Apple exports fell 7.2% in value, with quantities down 11% this season, which traditionally ends in November.
"It's been a challenging season for apple growers, with some adverse weather events and continued labour shortages earlier in the year contributing to lower than usual output," Allen said.
Rural trader PGG Wrightson has revised its operating earnings guidance, saying trading conditions have deteriorated since the last market update in February.
It's been a bumper season for maize and other supplements in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
Leading farmers from around New Zealand connected to share environmental stories and inspiration and build relationships at the Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) national forum in Wellington last month.
AgriZeroNZ, a joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for farmers, is pouring $5 million in a biotech company to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains.
Fonterra is teaming up with wealth app provider Sharesies to make it easier for its farmer shareholders to trade co-op shares among themselves.
Te Awamutu dairy farmers Doug, Penny, Josh and Bayley Storey have planted more than 25,000 native trees on the family farm, adding to a generations-old native forest.