Baypak and Katipak, merged on December 6 to form the New Zealand kiwifruit industry's largest co-operative. Between them they control about 16.5 per cent of the NZ kiwifruit crop and this season their combined production topped 10million trays of fruit.

Between them, the companies have eight cold stores, nine packhouses and gross assets of NZ$40million (£11.6m). At the height of the season, some 2,000 people will be employed by their combined forces to harvest fruit.

The company is entirely grower-owned and will therefore be an important voice in any industry discussions in the future.

The new co-op has temporarily been named BKMergeco

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