Opportunities for apple and pear exports

By Phil Boeyen, ShareChat Business News Editor

Tuesday 8th May 2001

The Government is freeing up the export of pipfruit from New Zealand.

Agriculture Minister, Jim Sutton, says a decision has been made in principle to open up export opportunities for pipfruit growers with export regulations for apples and pears revoked from the start of October.

"This will give growers a choice of exporters who will all compete on an equal footing."

Mr Sutton says it has become increasingly clear that the "halfway house" situation, where ENZA had a statutory dominant position and other groups could only export if permitted by an independent committee, was clearly not sustainable long-term.

"ENZA had initiated two lots of court action against the current export regime already this year, which had the potential to disrupt marketing programmes until the court actions were discontinued."

However the Agriculture Minister says that two seasons in the system had allowed independent exporters to build experience and customer relationships which should add value to the industry as a whole.

"The Government now trusts the industry will put behind it the political distractions of recent years and focus on co-operating to decide upon an agreed framework for competitive marketing,"

Mr Sutton says a possibility is to form a product group attached to the Horticultural Export Authority, which could help protect the value of "Brand New Zealand" for all exporters.

He says New Zealand is still probably the best country in the world in which to produce apples.

"I believe that our growers can bounce back from the last few desperate years and return to prosperity."

New Zealand last year exported around $480 million of apples although a recent agricultural outlook report predicts that will drop to $426 million in 2004.

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