Battling to stay afloat

FPJ was in Hawke’s Bay last month at the same time that England’s cricketers completed a comeback from 1-0 down to take the test series 2-1 in Napier against the local Black Caps. Like its cricket team, New Zealand’s top-fruit industry finds itself staring down the barrel after several tough years in a row. Unable to depend on the old guard - customers and varieties in the fruit industry’s case - the search is on for the new star performers. Tommy Leighton finds out what is being unearthed.