US tariffs threaten NZ horticulture exports
"Unwelcome" is how the chief executive of the Horticulture Export Authority (HEA), Simon Hegarty, describes the 15% tariff that the US has imposed on primary exports to that country.
“Spectacular” – that’s how Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor describes the work of the Horticultural Export Authority.
The organisation – headed by Simon Hegarty – promotes the effective export marketing of horticultural products. It does this by providing an exporting structure and support network for the NZ horticultural export industry.
The Horticultural Export Authority (HEA) also liaises with sector stakeholder groups on matters relating to market access, trade barriers and their removal. It also plays a role in lobbying government on such matters on behalf of the industry.
O’Connor says the HEA model is a spectacular success and has been instrumental in increasing horticultural exports – such as avocados – that complement other major exports like apples and kiwifruit.
“The HEA model encourages growers and exporters to agree and to collaborate, to maximise the coordination, distribution and marketing of their products,” O’Connor told Rural News.
“The horticultural growers are directly connected to consumers and their organisational structures are appropriate and so we applaud them all.”
![]() |
---|
Ag Minister Damien O’Connor says the HEA model encourages greater collaboration between growers and exporters. |
He says innovation in the hort sector is critical for its long term success. O’Connor points to the plant breeding programmes in the apple and pear sector and the recent announcement of the commercialisation of the red kiwifruit as examples of successful innovation.
“The launch of Zespri Red is an opportunity for the kiwifruit industry to keep ahead of the world,” he says.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.