Presidents Report
I hope this month’s report finds everyone in good spirits and that the recent hail events haven’t caused to much damage for our growers. Other than that, we have once again experienced excellent spring growth leading into the start of summer. As I get out and about talking to different growers, there is a positive and confident vibe that we are heading for another very good harvest of apples with clean, large fruit on the horizon. The Stone fruit season is currently in full swing with high volumes of fruit moving into the domestic market. Kiwi fruit is shaping up to be an excellent season having high bee activity during the spring which we know is vital for fruit size and quality. They have had very good canopy growth due to the excellent growing conditions.
A couple of weeks ago I was in Wellington and attended the 20-year celebration of Horticulture NZ. They were formed in 2005, when the NZ Fruit Growers Federation (est 1916), NZ Vegetable & Potato Growers Federation (known as Vegfed est 1957) and the Berry Fruit Federation (est 1978) merged to become HORTNZ. Andrew Fenton was the inaugural President and Chaired the role until 2013. I started on the board in 2020 as the “future director” and was then voted on the following year in August 2021 as an elected grower. Barry O’Neil was the Chair of HORTNZ at this time. (Barry recently stepped down after finishing his 9-year term on the board and is currently the newly appointed chair of the “Environmental Protection Authority” (EPA). Bernadine Guilleux is the current chair of HORTNZ, and I serve as deputy chair. We have a diverse board of directors coming from different growing areas in NZ. They are involved in a range of horticulture crops. But I can honestly say when we meet for board meetings, all the directors are focused on the growth, prosperity and concerns of all growers in every area of horticulture throughout NZ. The board also has 2 appointed directors who have various skills, experience and expertise adding real value to HORTNZ.
Here’s a little about what the team at HORTNZ do with your growers’ levy.
HORTNZ is the primary governing body representing about 4500 fruit and vegetable growers in NZ.
Some of the Core functions and activities are:
- “Advocacy and Leadership”. They are the national voice on behalf of growers working with central and local government to influence policy and regulatory decisions, advocating for workable environmental policies, RMA reforms & Biosecurity.
- Environment and Sustainability – HORTNZ helps growers adapt to environmental regulations and promotes sustainable practices. Key areas of focus are water quality, soil health and climate change.
- Biosecurity – HORTNZ is a signatory to the Government Industry Agreement (GIA) allowing partnership with govt on biosecurity readiness and response to protect industry from pest and diseases.
- Labour, Careers & Events – HORTNZ takes the lead on RSE, working with multiple government departments to ensure the long-term viability of the scheme. They provide regional representatives and regional extension offices to help bridge the gap between growers and HORTNZ (Wellington) – (This will roll out to all areas in 2026) They support the development of young people by leading the Young Grower & Young National Grower competitions and the annual “Horticulture NZ Leadership course” They also host the RSE and Horticulture conference (28th-29th July, 2026 – Wellington)
This is just a glimpse at what HORTNZ do for growers – They take the lead and support the product groups such as NZAPI and associations like HBFA in many of these areas. Much of the work HORTNZ do is unseen, but you can be sure the team at HORTNZ and passionate and committed in what they do for you and work tirelessly on your behalf everyday. Here is a one-page link to the “Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan” (AHAP) – If you go to the HORTNZ website they have the entire plan there for you to read.
https://www.hortnz.co.nz/assets/About-Us/Aotearoa-Horticulture-Action-Plan/A4-one-page-summary.pdf
On February 4th we will be holding out annual “Industry Awards” evening in conjunction with EIT, to be held at Toi Toi. This is a great event celebrating our horticulture students who have completed their studies with certificate presentations and scholarships awarded. We also have our “Emerging Achiever” award and “Innovation” award presented on the night. All members are welcome.
On a final note – I want to thank all our members, sponsors and especially our HBFA executive team who give much of their time to serve our great industry.
Have a very Merry Christmas, take care of yourselves, enjoy your celebrations with family and friends, and remember our best years are always ahead.
Kia Kaha
Brydon Nisbet
President
