KiwiBrothersTM make their China debut
Zespri has unveiled the award-winning KiwiBrothersTM mascots in China for the first time to market its large kiwifruit crop.
One long time kiwifruit business person is describing this and probably next year as the worst they can remember.
It's an unusual situation because the Zespri averages of fruit damaged by the frost don't paint an accurate picture of what individual growers are facing.
For example, while the RubyRed crops appears the worst affected, it's likely that the same grower may also have crops of Green or SunGold which could mitigate some of the financial hardship.
It would be unusual, we are told, that a grower would have just one variety.
On the other hand, some growers may have lost their entire crop while others are largely untouched.
But what kiwifruit growers are facing is a double financial whammy.
"Two years in a row - last season it was poor quality fruit and this season it's the frost," says Colin Bond.
What this means is that from now until June next year, all kiwifruit growers will have an income of sorts based on the sale of the 2021/22 crop - remembering however that the quality of this crop was soft and poor, meaning a reduced return. The impact of the frost and other factors will not surface until 2024 when growers will be paid or, in some cases, not paid for the 2022/23 harvest.
Bond says there is a risk that some orchardists will have no income 12 months from now and could face significant financial hardship.
In the meantime it's a waiting game to see if predictions are accurate or whether there is still some hope for the coming twelve months.
Rural trader PGG Wrightson has revised its operating earnings guidance, saying trading conditions have deteriorated since the last market update in February.
It's been a bumper season for maize and other supplements in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
Leading farmers from around New Zealand connected to share environmental stories and inspiration and build relationships at the Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) national forum in Wellington last month.
AgriZeroNZ, a joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for farmers, is pouring $5 million in a biotech company to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains.
Fonterra is teaming up with wealth app provider Sharesies to make it easier for its farmer shareholders to trade co-op shares among themselves.
Te Awamutu dairy farmers Doug, Penny, Josh and Bayley Storey have planted more than 25,000 native trees on the family farm, adding to a generations-old native forest.