Summerfruit NZ is pleased to be launching a Cherry Profitability Benchmarking Pilot, made possible through funding support from the Central Otago District Council.
The project, being delivered by Primary Insights, is designed to strengthen our understanding of the factors that drive orchard profitability and provide growers with meaningful data to support business decision-making. Initially focused on Central Otago cherry growers, the pilot will collect production, financial and operational information across participating orchards and use that information to develop a benchmarking framework for the industry.
Why Are We Investing in Benchmarking?
As an industry, we regularly discuss productivity, labour efficiency, orchard systems, packouts and returns. However, understanding how these factors influence overall profitability is often more difficult. This project aims to provide growers with a clearer picture of the relationship between orchard performance and financial outcomes. By collecting consistent information across a range of orchards, cultivars and production systems, we will be better positioned to understand the key drivers of profitability and identify the factors that contribute to strong business performance.
The project will examine a range of metrics, including yield, packout, revenue, labour costs and orchard profitability. While individual business circumstances will always differ, benchmarking provides an opportunity to understand broader industry trends and identify where opportunities may exist to improve performance.
Importantly, the information generated through this work will not only support individual business decisions but also strengthen the industry's ability to advocate on issues affecting grower profitability and help guide future research, development and extension priorities. Future opportunities may include expanding the programme into other growing regions and building longer-term benchmarking capability for the wider summerfruit industry.
What Participants Will Receive
Participating growers will receive a confidential, individualised benchmarking report comparing their operation against aggregated industry data. These reports will provide growers with valuable insights into key performance indicators and how their business compares with the wider participant group. All data will be treated as strictly confidential. Individual business information will not be shared, and any industry reporting will be aggregated and anonymised to ensure commercially sensitive information remains protected. Protecting grower confidentiality has been a key consideration in the design of the project.
Thank You to Participating Growers
We'd like to sincerely thank those growers who have already agreed to participate. We appreciate just how busy this time of year is and are grateful for the willingness of growers to invest their time and share information to support the project.
The success of any benchmarking initiative relies on grower participation and trust. The support we have received so far demonstrates a commitment to improving our collective understanding of orchard profitability and building a stronger information base for the benefit of the wider industry. At the conclusion of the project, participating growers will receive a confidential individual benchmark report providing insights into how their operation compares against aggregated industry data.
Interested in Learning More?
If you would like to learn more about the project, the information being collected, or the benefits of participating, please contact Sean Gresham: sean.gresham@summerfruitnz.co.nz