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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.
Moves are well underway to establish a new Kiwifruit Breeding Centre (KBC) - a joint venture between Plant and Food Research (PFR) and Zespri - designed to speed up the process of developing new and improved kiwifruit varieties.
Kiwifruit exporter Zespri has reported a record 2020-21 season, with bumper tray returns across all categories.
Next month, New Zealand kiwifruit growers will get a chance to say yes or no to a Zespri proposal for one-year trial to grow SunGold kiwifruit in China.
Zespri has switched to using mostly charter refrigerated container ships this year to get its kiwifruit to major markets, rather than relying on normal scheduled ships.
Kiwifruit is just too valuable not to be picked and despite the challenges of labour and weather, it will be picked.
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