The variety of companies named as finalists in the 2018 Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards demonstrate the vibrancy of the export sector.

New Zealand exporters which sent $120m of goods to Iran last year may be affected by US president Donald Trump's threat to sanction countries who trade with the Middle Eastern nation.

The judges are three experts in the area of trade: Mike Atkins, Head of Trade Finance at ASB; Charles Finny, Government Relations Consultant, Saunders Unsworth; Rachel Baxter, Customer Managers' Team Leader, NZ Trade and Enterprise.

The winners will be announced at the Awards Gala Dinner at the Napier War Memorial Centre on Thursday, August 2. The judges will be ExportNZ Hawke's Bay chairman Alasdair MacLeod, NZ Trade and Enterprise customer director Dan Taylor, and ASB head of international trade Mike Atkins.

Mar 08, 2018  - According to the Changzhou Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau, a batch of 1,319 boxes of fruit puree from New Zealand has successfully passed the quarantine examination and has arrived in the Chinese markets.

Feb 28, 2018  -  Leading food company Alliance has dispatched Pure South venison to key global markets as the traditional European game season winds down.

Feb 27, 2018  -  Freshmax is thrilled to be launching their Munch’n kiwiberries into India this week. This will be the first shipment of New Zealand kiwiberries into India, as a result of a great relationship with importer Suri Agro Fresh. They have been quick to recognise a recent surge in interest for fresh berries with their consumers, and wanted to add kiwiberries to their product offering. This also complements their range of other New Zealand produce, such as kiwifruit, apples and avocados.

Feb 09, 2018  -    Entries are now open to the Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards 2018 - Auckland and Waikato.  Export business operations based in Northland, Auckland and/or the Waikato regions are eligible to enter.

Dec 13, 2017  - The apple industry is still not sure of the cost of a fungicide contamination which has threatened to destroy 35 hectares of apples in Hawke's Bay and lop several million dollars off the value of the export harvest.

The issue first came to light when Nelson-based Adama New Zealand was alerted by a Hawke's Bay orchardist on October 5 to a potential issue with blemishes discovered on the leaves and young buds of some Royal Gala tree varieties.

The company, part of a world-leading crop protection group, began an investigation which led less than a fortnight later to the pre-emptive recall of cover spray Mancozeb.It was later found a batch imported from India contained fungicide Azoxystrobin — commonly used in the growing industry, but not for apples, and a complete no-no for the signature New Zealand variety of Royal Gala.

The fungicide caused russet on apple skins, knocked apples off trees prematurely and damaged leaves, and it was reported soon afterwards that 185 hectares had been affected, mainly in the Nelson region, where 20 growers were compromised, but also 35ha in Hawke's Bay, where nine growers were affected, understood to be primarily in the Havelock North area.

Adama NZ chief executive David MacGibbon said on November 3 when announcing the permanent recall of Mancozeb from sale, that while the product was not one produced by his company, he was "devastated" by the impact on growers who he said were "like family to us, many of us have known each other for decades".

"Mancozeb has been a widely used product in spring for apple growers since we started selling it 10 years ago," he said. "There have never been any issues before."

"However, we will not be selling it again as we have now lost our faith in its manufacturer. This is the only product they produce for us."

It doesn't affect last season's apples, which had been applied with previous uncontaminated batches of Adama Mancozeb, and the company is continuing to run tests heading towards harvest in the current season on all crops where the product has been used, and will further support growers, Mr MacGibbon said.

Hastings-based industry leader Alan Pollard, CEO of New Zealand Apples and Pears, which until April was known as Pipfruit New Zealand, said yesterday a tracking system managed to establish quickly which growers had received the rogue batch, but while it is now more than two months since the alarms were first sounded it would be still a while before the cost could be established.

Insurance risk assessors have been working with growers and the company, and costs are assessed on the "physical loss" (complete destruction) and "economic loss" which includes diminished value of fruit able to be salvaged but not able to be exported.

With almost 10,000ha of apple orchard nationwide, the area affected represents about 1.85 per cent, which Mr Pollard said may be the equivalent of stock lost most years because of hail damage, and some of the loss is being minimised by thinning.

But based on the value of last year's exports — about $800 million — export market losses in Hawke's Bay could be about $3 million.

The product at the centre of the problem was just one of several of its type and orchardists have had other options.

| A Hawkes Bay Today release ||  December 12, 2017   |||

Dec 12, 2017 - : Steve Trickett has joined AVOCO’s senior management team to expand on market development in Asia and oversee grower communications at home. A familiar face to many avocado growers, Steve has joined the company as Marketing and Communications Manager and is responsible for market planning and performance with focus on new and developing markets where fruit carries the AVANZA brand. He will support the existing sales and marketing team, oversee contestable fund applications and develop AVOCO’s communications and profile among the grower community. Steve’s 35-year experience in the export sector includes stints at Fruitfed Export, NZ Kiwifruit Marketing Board (now Zespri), Chiquita Brands New Zealand Ltd, ENZA Fresh, Freshmax Ltd and Turners & Growers Exports.Until earlier this year, Steve worked for another Bay of Plenty avocado exporter. He says the move to AVOCO enables him to continue in an industry he’s passionate about. “I’ve worked with, known and respected the key people in AVOCO for well over 20 years and I’m a strong supporter of the AVANZA model used beyond Australia. So, I am excited by the fact that AVOCO management were keen for me to join them and further bolster what is a formidable marketing team,” says Steve. “I also welcome the opportunity to be part of a much larger business such as AVOCO that has compelling brand relevance via ‘AVANZA’, the Asian market brand, with recognised market leadership and the best pick of customers across the region.” Steve is a firm believer that New Zealand’s avocado industry has a bright future. Avocados tick all the right boxes from a consumer perspective and this has fuelled global demand. “Avocados are nutritious, versatile and tasty. Taste and texture is very important to the Asian consumer especially. They are very aware of the subtleties of every part of the fruit. “From a commercial perspective, avocados can be shipped by sea from New Zealand to avoid costly air freight. Overall, they’re a fabulous, healthy fruit that has won over consumers worldwide and that demand shows no signs of abating.” Outside of Australia, Asia is New Zealand’s next biggest market and it’s a region where relationship-building with key customers and distributors is paramount. Steve has worked in the region extensively and says the “New Zealand story” has real currency for export groups like AVOCO. “In Asia, our fruit is regarded as a great product, it’s come from a great origin and is mostly supplied at a time when competitor supply countries such as Mexico struggle with quality. People also have a favourable perception of our clean, green image. “Every time you go to a NZ trade office in Tokyo, Seoul or elsewhere in Asia, they say don’t stop promoting the ‘New Zealandness’ of your product. It’s very important and resonates well with consumers.” With the New Zealand avocado industry inching closer to market access to China, Steve is taking an active role in helping AVOCO lead the way by visiting China to learn more about sales and distribution systems. A small industry coordinated non-commercial trial shipment to China is scheduled for next month following completion of on-shore audits by the Chinese authorities. Full commercial shipments are unlikely until the new season starts in September 2018. While there are huge trade opportunities in China, Steve says it’s critical to first understand the market’s supply chain differences, and to then select which sales channels to pursue in the immediate to medium term.

| An AVOCO release  ||  December 12, 2017   |||