Apricot Co
Yesterday the growers of the NZSummer series apricots met in Alexandra and agreed on the commitment to a cooperative structure to take forward the commercialisation of these exciting new apricot varieties, bred with a specific focus on high quality and taste for export markets.
This is a timely decision by the current growers and the next step in realising value from the lengthy investment by Summerfruit NZ in breeding and then evaluation through our partnership with Plant & Food Research. Summerfruit NZ’s objectives in this process continue to be access for all growers, reflecting the industry investment in development, and the expectation of marketing discipline to ensure the in-market value is maintained.
The Summerfruit NZ Board acknowledges the considerable effort of the Apricot Co Interim Board, especially the chairman Stephen Darling and his predecessor, Nigel Hinton. I’d like to thank Andrea Crawford for her work supporting Stephen and the Apricot Co Interim Board to help get to a clear decision on the future.
RSE Workers
Following the horticulture and viticulture sector meeting with Minister Faafoi this week, the Minister has provided a letter setting out the Government’s commitment to the RSE scheme, with normal operation expected after Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. We continue to work with the Minister and officials on options to improve two-way movement between New Zealand and the Pacific for RSE workers within the constraints of the pandemic.
HortNZ survey
A reminder that the HortNZ survey of RSE worker repatriation is due to be returned to HortNZ today. This survey will update the demand for repatriations and is a crucial aspect of our ongoing planning. For those employers who have not responded please do so today.