New Zealand top-fruit growers are drawing up plans for a fight-back in the face of a woeful season.
Pipfruit NZ is hoping to rally the industry together under one quality mark to give them market differentiation, said chairman Ian Palmer
He said a series of meeting throughout the industry had seen a positive response from growers, many of which are facing difficulties following a season of very poor returns.
The meeting were aimed at discussing strategies to take the industry forward, said Palmer: “We are hurting from poor returns this year, but we are also focussed on the future. All sections of our industry, growers packers and exporters, have agreed that we need to focus on three things.”
Those three things include creating a quality mark to unite the industry and differentiate it from the competition in the market place. “The quality mark will link together the quality of our fruit, the purity of our land and our growing systems with the innovation of our industry,” said Palmer.
The sector needs to reinforce its position as the world’s premium apple supplier with targeted communication in its key markets, he said.
Another move will see the industry create a marketing panel of exporters, which will work together to promote and protect the image of NZ apples under the quality mark.
Palmer said: “We will encourage growers to supply fruit to panel members who agree to use the quality mark.”
He said that New Zealand has the world’s leading growing system in Integrated Fruit Production (IFP). “Until now we have used this growing system as a technical tool, and underestimated IFP’s marketing potential.
“Our challenge now is to align our growing systems with consistent fruit quality and New Zealand’s image. Together these will form the basis for the story that explains to the world why they should buy New Zealand apples.”
The quality mark will be designed in such a way that it can sit alongside and complement exporter brands, Palmer said, while giving the apple industry a recognisable footprint in all markets.
The mark is expected to be available in time for next season, Pipfruit New Zealand announced.
