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Nikki Johnson is off to take up a new role with Zespri in Italy.
In a matter of days, kiwifruit growers organisation (NZKGI) chief executive Nikki Johnson will leave her role at NZKGI.
Johnson is moving to Zespri to take up the role of strategic projects manager, based in the company's office in Bologna, Italy. She's been with NZKGI since 2016.
Johnson says the new role is an opportunity for her to stay in kiwifruit.
"It's also a good opportunity to take my knowledge of kiwifruit and do something different with it.The role is looking across the northern hemisphere business - Japan, Korea, France, Greece, Italy and the north Americas, where there are trials or full production taking place under the Zespri brands.
she told Hort News."I've always wanted to live overseas and in Italy so it's two good outcomes," she says.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
According to Zespri's November forecast for the 2025/26 season, returns are likely to be up for all fruit groups compared to the last forecast in August.
European growers are playing a key role in ensuring Kiwifruit marketer Zespri has year-round supply of high-quality fruit for consumers.
Brett Wotton, an Eastern Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower and harvest contractor, has won the 2025 Kiwifruit Innovation Award for his work to support lifting fruit quality across the industry.
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