Welcome to this update to our growers focussing on fruit performance and topical industry issues of the moment.
The majority of the Hayward organic programme is complete with the last of the shipping orders for week 44 now issued. Seeka ends week 43 with some 960k trays of Hayward conventional in store, 342k to be loaded this week leaving 618k trays to ship. Orders to load fruit beyond this week are pretty skinny with the shipping programme having another four weeks to run. While we are still satisfied with fruit quality, there are a few challenging lines in the stores as you might expect with a later programme and limited shipping opportunities. Zespri has suspended market reporting for the moment and we will update you on the sales rates when the reporting comes through.
I recently read another post-harvest supplier’s letter which identified; strategic supply chain issues with increasing gold supply, a lack of investment by post-harvest operators and seemingly a lack of leadership to facilitate sensible supply chain innovation as issues which need addressing by the industry. I was reminded that a few years ago Seeka pioneered a trial that dispatched graded, sized and labelled class 1 fruit in a bin to the market to be packed out in a ready to retail pack type. The programme worked well and delivered financial and strategic benefits but was neither supported nor pursued by Zespri. Seeka has put forward collaborative marketing proposals that offer innovative supply chain solutions to Kiwifruit New Zealand but without Zespri support they have not been approved. Programmes that avoid the considerable investment needed in New Zealand coolstorage, must be looked at.
The New Zealand Kiwifruit industry is facing the enviable challenge of an increasing gold supply. If we are going to get sensible supply chain innovation in the New Zealand kiwifruit industry for the benefit of growers, not only are we going to need to create an environment whereby true innovators can trial new ideas [and get the risk reward] we are also going to need a cultural and attitudinal change to enable them to do so.
Everything is in flower! From cabbage trees to kiwifruit – if it’s got a flower on it – it looks tremendous.
Kind regards
Michael
Seeka Key
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