A new 12 hectares cherry orchard, being set up by the company 45 South out of Cromwell, is seen by some as a vote of confidence in the future of Central Otago’s cherry industry. 45 South owns or manages at least 150 hectares of cherry orchards in the Cromwell area, producing 30-40% of New Zealand’s export cherries.

New research is adding to the knowledge that New Zealand blackcurrants are a ‘super fruit’ for those with an active lifestyle.

25 Oct: 1105  |The nursery and fruit-growing companies at the heart of the legal action against MPI over seized plants and plant material have been working hard to facilitate the rebuilding of the relationship between MPI and the USA-based Clean Plant Centre North West (CPCNW).

A small New Zealand produce farm, is making some exciting progress with some agroecology projects that could reduce the need for chemicals on tomato farms reports This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for FreshPlaza.

The potato mop-top virus was discovered in potatoes grown on two Canterbury properties last month. In an update to industry stakeholders this week, Potatoes New Zealand (PNZ) and Biosecurity New Zealand said 18 more farms in the Canterbury region had been added to the suspect list and testing had been widened to the North Island.

A new study finds that bacteria develop antibiotic resistance up to 100,000 times faster when exposed to the world’s most widely used herbicides, Roundup (glyphosate) and Kamba (dicamba) and antibiotics compared to without the herbicide.

Last year the New Zealand cherry crop was early, but this year it is right on track to start 15th or 16th of December, which is ideal for supplying the Christmas market then continuing into Chinese New Year.

05 Oct: 12:32 | Kiwi horticultural exporters are invited to attend New Zealand Trade & Enterprise’s Gulf Opportunities Showcase being held in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch in October.

The theme of this year’s Fresh Produce Safety Conference, hosted by the Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand in Sydney last week was ‘Food Safety: It’s Your Responsibility’.

Growing fruit and vegetables commercially is not all about serious business and finances. A small New Zealand produce farm, called The Curious Croppers, mainly produce tomatoes on a small scale, but couple Angela and Anthony Tringham are on a ride that has given them plenty of fun and stories along the way report Fresh Plaza.