AU/NZ: Global Heavyweight at Avocado Industry Conference
The American-based Hass Avocado Board (HAB) will share new research in a keynote presentation at ‘Nutritional Values’ - the fifth Quadrennial New Zealand and Australian Avocado Growers’ Conference, to be held at the ASB Arena Baypark from 9-12 September. The research indicates that consuming avocados may be associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake level, lower intake of added sugars, lower body weight, BMI and waist circumferences, higher “good cholesterol” levels and lower metabolic syndrome risk.
In addition to sharing information on the growing body of Hass avocado research, HAB will share new analysis of data, published this year in Nutrition Journal, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the US, a programme of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Just last week New Zealand Avocado announced that the industry would receive a $4 million boost in research funding from a successful bid made to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) 2013 Science Investment Round. The investment over the next five years into the Plant & Food Research project ‘Avocados for Export’ aims to contribute to doubling New Zealand’s average avocado yield through identifying causes of irregular fruit bearing and will also introduce new storage and shipping systems to export increased volumes of fruit.
Avocados are New Zealand’s third largest fresh fruit export, and had an industry value of $60 million in 2012-2013 for both domestic and export volumes.
Over 400 delegates are due to attend the conference and Ashby Whitehead, chair of the New Zealand Avocado Growers’ Association Inc (NZAGA) and New Zealand Avocado Industry Council Ltd, says there is a fantastic line up of speakers who will inform, inspire and challenge growers.
Fifty renowned experts from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the United States will discuss the nutritional findings, as well as talk about the latest pruning techniques, irregular bearing, disease management, new cultivars, nutrient management, pollination, quality improvement, market development, promotions, economics, biosecurity, and supply chain improvement.
The upcoming conference is hosted in New Zealand only once every eight years. It is held as part of the memorandum of understanding between NZAGA and their Australian counterparts, Avocados Australia, to foster a stronger working relationship between the two peak industry bodies.
Click here for the conference website.
For more information:
Editor
Scoop News
Tel: +64 4 910 1844
Email:[email protected]
http://scoop.co.nz/
