Industry body Horticulture New Zealand has said it was pleased to hear the country's Minister of Agriculture, David Carter, put to rest any suggestion that the single-desk marketing model used by the New Zealand kiwifruit industry is under threat.
'The Minister’s sensible and firm comments put to rest a good deal of speculation, which serves no useful purpose in these economically fragile times,' commented HortNZ President Andrew Fenton.
Any speculation about a change in the structure of the industry or the marketing of what is New Zealand's most successful horticultural export could raise negative concerns in the country's export markets, Mr Fenton continued, adding that the rate of growth of kiwifruit exports compared with other produce exports showed the current system was working well for growers and for New Zealand.
Since 2000, export earnings to New Zealand from kiwifruit exports have reportedly almost doubled to over NZ$800m. 'HortNZ totally supports the Zespri single-desk structure,' Mr Fenton said. 'We know the vast majority of New Zealand kiwifruit growers support the system and we meet many growers from other countries who are in awe and very envious of what New Zealand has achieved through Zespri.'
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