Global sales of kiwifruit dropped by 15 million trays over the last two seasons. Extreme weather events that occurred in New Zealand, such as Cyclone Gabrielle, also brought down the value and quality of kiwifruit. However, Māori landowners are weathering the economic storm.
According to Anaru Timutimu, the chair of Māori Kiwifruit Growers Inc. the financial structure of Māori landowners has safeguarded them against downturns, enough so that rebuilding orchards can continue. He stated: “We’re down on green kiwifruit by 20 million trays out of 30 million. We’re probably weighted 50/50 on gold kiwifruit which is a big money earner. It’s a little bit of a silver lining, and if we apply industry figures across the Māori footprint, it’s good to see that the gold kiwifruit hasn’t been affected as much.”
Still, Timutimu acknowledges that 2023 has been a difficult season and there are more tough times ahead.
Source: teaomaori.news