February 19, 2026 • 5 mins
The chief executive of Horticulture NZ comments on the state of the industry, with kiwifruit and apples leading the charge.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Kat Scott is the Chief Executive of Horticulture New Zealand,
based in Wellington. I caught up with her last week
there for the National Lamb Day barbecue on the Parliament lawns. Kate,
you can't beat Wellington on a good day and we
had a cracker for the barbecue. But gee, since then
you've had a bit of a challenging weekend. Do you
regret having to move from Central Otago where you're based,
(00:23):
up to Wellington to get the job?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Well, look, I think that's a good question. Regret it's
probably a strong word, but as you note, Wellington on
a good day is great. The other days you've got
to have a good you've got to have a good raincoat,
I'm finding but look to be my trip to Central
Otago for the summer was also leaving me a little
bit wanting because the sunshine wasn't really playing Bordown there either.
So he's a mixed bag whereview you go?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, and now let's stick with Central Otago and some
aer fruit. We're going to start with that because we're
going to have a look at the heart scene at
the moment because obviously the likes of k Kiwi fruit
and apples are very strong at the moment, but the
summer fruit growers in Central Otago, and I'm including the
cherries and the apricots and all that sort of stuff
in there, they've had a bit of a challenging time
(01:07):
because they just haven't had a summer. That's right.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Look, there, I really feel for the somer fr It
grows in Central Otago who have just been grappling with
lack of sunshine and too much rain, and that has
certainly had an impact on their season, which you know,
no grower likes to have to contend with, but that's
also the nature of growing unfortunately. But look, the flip
side of that is that, you know, somer fr It
(01:32):
growers based out of Hawks Bay have had a very
good season, so that has continued to help the sept
the more generally in terms of both domestic and expert demand.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I'm glad they've had a good season on a Hawk's
Bay because after what they've been through, you know, in
the past few years. Cyclone Gabrielle obviously they need one,
and the apple growers and Hawks Bay looking forward to
a very good season.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
That's right. Look, we're starting to hear reports back from
on the ground. Apple harvest has been underway for you know,
a few weeks sport for some growers, and you know,
so far it's looking like it's shaping up to be
a very good year. And it's it's great to actually
see those growers who have had such a hard time
over the last few years, you know, cop a bit
of a break and here's hoping that they can you know,
(02:15):
do really well out of the season ahead of them.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
How are the veggie growers going well?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Veggie growing continues to be a challenge.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
You know.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
We have, as we talked to, had a range of
rough weather over the last few months. Really, it doesn't
matter how far we go. Every month we seem to
have some form of significant adverse event events and veggie
growers are you know, certainly often impacted by that. But look,
you know, again mixed bag. Some of the challenges the
(02:43):
veggie growers are facing are you know, related more generally
to those border constraints around things such as irima and
the regulatory rules that can impact on their ability to
keep growing.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Mind you, being a veggie grower would be an easier gig,
you would think, and being an avocado grower, because you
can't even guarantee your crop.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah, no, the avocado guys certainly hats off to them
for their tenacity and growing the beautiful green fruit. Look again,
you know, just the common theme that we keep seeing
is that every one of our crops seems to have,
you know, an increasing impact from changing climate. And you know,
some of our avocado growers late last year were impacted
(03:27):
by significant wind event in the Bay of Plenty. But
the reports coming out of the avocado sector are that
despite you know, some some really significant impacts from that
wind event, that the season is shaping up to have
been an okay season for them. So again that's pretty
pleasing to hear from their perspective.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Do the grape growers fall under your umbrella at Horticulture
New Zealand or is that Vita culture New Zealand?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So you know, they don't fall under our umbrella, so
they fall under the under the wine the wine growers
side of things. But look, you know, we work very
collabsea with our wine friends because we have a lot
of common things that we need to address together, labor
being one of them. But if I put my own
great growing hat on for you for a moment, you know,
(04:11):
the vineyard and central otago is certainly a hard game
to be and that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Do you make your own wine, Kate Scott, or do
you contract to a wine maker?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I certainly do not have the skills to make exceptional
central Otago penon, so no, we will typically sell our
fruit for someone else who is much much better qualified
to make exceptional wine.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Let's just finish on the really positive note for the week,
the strong final forecast for zespury growers forecasting record returns
per hectare across all fruit categories. And this is the
big one, isn't it. Kiwi fruits now worth what four
billion or something?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
No, can we fruit is a four billion dollar part
of our sector. So they are certainly a significant contributor
to the horticulture both domestically but also most importantly in
terms of our exports of fruit across the globe, so
they play an integral role. Look again, talking to a
couple of Kei fruit growers just yesterday, this season is
(05:13):
again looking ahead of them to be a good season
in terms of volume and quality of fruit, which is
good to hear and grate for them to see you
such strong prices. I think you know one of the
big things that was top of mind for many of
those growers. Interestingly though, is you know the vulnerability from
an infrastructure perspective, and certainly those Gibbon based growers are
(05:36):
grappling with that at the moment, with the gorge and
transporting their fruit out of the region. So rosy picture,
but certainly not not without its challenges as well.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
You can't beat Wellington on a good day. Kate Scott
from Wellington, Chief Executive of Horticulture in New Zealand. I
hope you get a decent.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Day to day man a shining today. Thank you.
Kat Scott is the Chief Executive of Horticulture New Zealand,
based in Wellington. I caught up with her last week
there for the National Lamb Day barbecue on the Parliament lawns. Kate,
you can't beat Wellington on a good day and we
had a cracker for the barbecue. But gee, since then
you've had a bit of a challenging weekend. Do you
regret having to move from Central Otago where you're based,
(00:23):
up to Wellington to get the job?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Well, look, I think that's a good question. Regret it's
probably a strong word, but as you note, Wellington on
a good day is great. The other days you've got
to have a good you've got to have a good raincoat,
I'm finding but look to be my trip to Central
Otago for the summer was also leaving me a little
bit wanting because the sunshine wasn't really playing Bordown there either.
So he's a mixed bag whereview you go?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, and now let's stick with Central Otago and some
aer fruit. We're going to start with that because we're
going to have a look at the heart scene at
the moment because obviously the likes of k Kiwi fruit
and apples are very strong at the moment, but the
summer fruit growers in Central Otago, and I'm including the
cherries and the apricots and all that sort of stuff
in there, they've had a bit of a challenging time
(01:07):
because they just haven't had a summer. That's right.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Look, there, I really feel for the somer fr It
grows in Central Otago who have just been grappling with
lack of sunshine and too much rain, and that has
certainly had an impact on their season, which you know,
no grower likes to have to contend with, but that's
also the nature of growing unfortunately. But look, the flip
side of that is that, you know, somer fr It
(01:32):
growers based out of Hawks Bay have had a very
good season, so that has continued to help the sept
the more generally in terms of both domestic and expert demand.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
I'm glad they've had a good season on a Hawk's
Bay because after what they've been through, you know, in
the past few years. Cyclone Gabrielle obviously they need one,
and the apple growers and Hawks Bay looking forward to
a very good season.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
That's right. Look, we're starting to hear reports back from
on the ground. Apple harvest has been underway for you know,
a few weeks sport for some growers, and you know,
so far it's looking like it's shaping up to be
a very good year. And it's it's great to actually
see those growers who have had such a hard time
over the last few years, you know, cop a bit
of a break and here's hoping that they can you know,
(02:15):
do really well out of the season ahead of them.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
How are the veggie growers going well?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Veggie growing continues to be a challenge.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
You know.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
We have, as we talked to, had a range of
rough weather over the last few months. Really, it doesn't
matter how far we go. Every month we seem to
have some form of significant adverse event events and veggie
growers are you know, certainly often impacted by that. But look,
you know, again mixed bag. Some of the challenges the
(02:43):
veggie growers are facing are you know, related more generally
to those border constraints around things such as irima and
the regulatory rules that can impact on their ability to
keep growing.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Mind you, being a veggie grower would be an easier gig,
you would think, and being an avocado grower, because you
can't even guarantee your crop.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah, no, the avocado guys certainly hats off to them
for their tenacity and growing the beautiful green fruit. Look again,
you know, just the common theme that we keep seeing
is that every one of our crops seems to have,
you know, an increasing impact from changing climate. And you know,
some of our avocado growers late last year were impacted
(03:27):
by significant wind event in the Bay of Plenty. But
the reports coming out of the avocado sector are that
despite you know, some some really significant impacts from that
wind event, that the season is shaping up to have
been an okay season for them. So again that's pretty
pleasing to hear from their perspective.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Do the grape growers fall under your umbrella at Horticulture
New Zealand or is that Vita culture New Zealand?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So you know, they don't fall under our umbrella, so
they fall under the under the wine the wine growers
side of things. But look, you know, we work very
collabsea with our wine friends because we have a lot
of common things that we need to address together, labor
being one of them. But if I put my own
great growing hat on for you for a moment, you know,
(04:11):
the vineyard and central otago is certainly a hard game
to be and that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Do you make your own wine, Kate Scott, or do
you contract to a wine maker?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I certainly do not have the skills to make exceptional
central Otago penon, so no, we will typically sell our
fruit for someone else who is much much better qualified
to make exceptional wine.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Let's just finish on the really positive note for the week,
the strong final forecast for zespury growers forecasting record returns
per hectare across all fruit categories. And this is the
big one, isn't it. Kiwi fruits now worth what four
billion or something?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
No, can we fruit is a four billion dollar part
of our sector. So they are certainly a significant contributor
to the horticulture both domestically but also most importantly in
terms of our exports of fruit across the globe, so
they play an integral role. Look again, talking to a
couple of Kei fruit growers just yesterday, this season is
(05:13):
again looking ahead of them to be a good season
in terms of volume and quality of fruit, which is
good to hear and grate for them to see you
such strong prices. I think you know one of the
big things that was top of mind for many of
those growers. Interestingly though, is you know the vulnerability from
an infrastructure perspective, and certainly those Gibbon based growers are
(05:36):
grappling with that at the moment, with the gorge and
transporting their fruit out of the region. So rosy picture,
but certainly not not without its challenges as well.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
You can't beat Wellington on a good day. Kate Scott
from Wellington, Chief Executive of Horticulture in New Zealand. I
hope you get a decent.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Day to day man a shining today. Thank you.
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