MPI Hails Kiwifruit Boom as Horticulture Revenue Surges Past $9 Billion
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General Ray Smith is giving a big shout-out to the horticulture sector, especially kiwifruit.
Nikki Johnson will move from the citrus industry to kiwifruit when she takes over as chief executive New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc (NZKGI) in April.
She succeeds Mike Chapman, who stepped down to take on the role of Horticulture NZ chief executive.
Johnson has managed the NZ Citrus Growers Inc for more than 10 years transitioning the industry from a voluntary grower organisation to a professional organisation with sustainable, compulsory levy funding and a strategic approach to investment of grower funds.
Johnson is also a founding director of Market Access Solutionz, a specialist biosecurity, regulatory systems, market access, international trade issues management and strategic industry management advisory company which has been operating for over 13 years.
Fonterra’s impending exit from the Australian dairy industry is a major event but the story doesn’t change too much for farmers.
Expect greater collaboration between Massey University’s school of Agriculture and Environment and Ireland’s leading agriculture university, the University College of Dublin (UCD), in the future.
A partnership between Torere Macadamias Ltd and the Riddet Institute aims to unlock value from macadamia nuts while growing the next generation of Māori agribusiness researchers.
A new partnership between Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) and NZAgbiz aims to make evidence-based calf rearing practices accessible to all farm teams.
Despite some trying circumstances recently, the cherry season looks set to emerge on top of things.
Changed logos on shirts otherwise it will be business as usual when Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses are expected to change hands next month.

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