Record Kiwifruit Harvest Brings Optimism, but Green Growers Face Profitability Challenges
Signs for the 2026-27 kiwifruit crop look good, but there are still some challenges for growers – especially those who produce green kiwifruit.
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.
Federated Farmers' new vice president Sandra Faulkner says the issue of adverse events emergency management and infrastructure needs to be taken out of the three-year political cycle.
Building a strong team is one of the biggest drivers of a successful sheep and beef business, but it can also be one of the tougher parts to get right.
Blueberry growers are warning that fresh imports could pose a huge biosecurity risk for NZ’s horticulture sector.
As expected, the US has launched a safeguard investigation into lamb imports, a move that could impact New Zealand sheepmeat returns.
A milk glut around the world shows no sign of easing, putting downward pressure on farmgate milk prices for the next few months.
A pause on Waikato Regional Council's (WRC) plan change that sets new freshwater rules for farming could be announced in the coming weeks.

OPINION: It really is getting harder to lampoon government bureaucrats when they do such a good job of it themselves.…
OPINION: After all the criticism that Winston Peters leveled at the India/NZ FTA, it seemed just a trifle ironic to…