Whetu Rolleston has transitioned from marine biology to agriculture, now chairing the New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI). The role was previously held by Mark Mayston, who navigated the group through challenges like labor shortages, Hi-Cane spray use, and the Zespri global supply vote.
Rolleston holds a strong connection to the western Bay of Plenty, with early memories of picking kiwifruit on her family's land in Papamoa. Her scientific acumen led her to a marine biology degree, followed by a navy career as a marine surveyor and an operations manager role at a fishing company. Her agricultural knowledge expanded through studies at Massey University and policy work in fisheries.
Her tenure begins with an industry performance evaluation in the latest NZKGI annual report, providing insights into Zespri's operations. "It's a key starting point for us, in more detail than has ever been done before, covering 40 pages and all aspects of the supply chain," Rolleston notes. The NZKGI board will spend the coming months analyzing and communicating this data to growers.
Rolleston highlights the balance NZKGI must maintain between Zespri's high-quality supply standards and the costs burdened by growers. "This is a starting point. Premium fruit is front and centre of what Zespri must do, but that is a cost growers must wear to meet that. It's important to see the premium return comes back to growers for those efforts."
The "cost of quality" per tray is under scrutiny, peaking in 2022 at $3.46 per tray for SunGold due to labor and weather issues. This year, costs have normalized to less than $2 per tray for SunGold. Despite positive trends, some growers continue to face post-Gabrielle challenges, particularly in Marlborough-Tasman with sediment and flood damage.
Rolleston emphasizes the need to activate the grower relief fund and advocate for infrastructure investment to mitigate flood impacts. "There will always be vulnerability there with kiwifruit doing well in flood-prone areas. Growers could be putting their hands in their pockets every year, but to what extent are we insurers?"
The sector also faces alignment issues between growers and shareholders, with only 46% of producers being shareholders. "Zespri has done a great job of getting it as far as they have, and alignment has to continue to ensure what is good for a grower is good for a shareholder, without any divergence there."
Source: Farmers Weekly
