The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending its regulations to allow the importation of fresh persimmons from New Zealand into the United States. After analysing the potential plant pest risks, APHIS scientists determined that persimmons from New Zealand can be safely imported into the United States under a systems approach.

A systems approach is a series of measures taken by growers, packers, and shippers that, in combination, minimize pest risks prior to importation into the United States. In this case, the systems approach requires orchard certification, orchard pest control, post-harvest safeguards, fruit culling, traceback, and sampling.

In addition, the fruit must be treated with hot water or undergo modified atmosphere cold storage to kill any leafroller moth larvae. The persimmons must also be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate stating that they were produced under the systems approach and were inspected and found to be free of quarantine pests.

In August 2016, APHIS published a proposed rule to amend its regulations to allow the importation of fresh persimmons from New Zealand into the United States provided that they are produced in accordance with a systems approach. The final rule will publish in the Federal Register on October 3, 2017, and will become effective 30 days after publication on November 2, 2017.

| A FreshPlaza release ||  October 3,  2017   |||

NZ: Hawke's Bay's Napier port considers new levy on pipfruit - A FreshPlaza release:

Following increased fees, a new insurance levy has reportedly tipped local port users - across the horticultural sector, exporters, and transport companies - over the edge.

Port CEO Garth Cowie said one of the fees being considered by the port was for the pipfruit sector. The port sought feedback from the pipfruit sector on the concept of a peak season reefer surcharge.

"The apple industry is growing and Napier Port's infrastructure has to keep pace in order to support our growers and provide the level of service they need," he said, adding this came at a cost.

Over the past five years the port had invested more than $95m in infrastructure.

"We have done everything we can to keep this proposed fee to a minimum while still ensuring the pipfruit industry has the infrastructure they need for the peak export season."

The number of apple exports through the port has increased from about 12,936 containers in 2008 to a record 22,205 20ft containers of apples last year.

| A FreshPlaza release  ||  October 2,  2017

The New Zealand Shippers Council is concerned that the recent announcement by Port Napier that it will impose an insurance levy charge on transport operators is the thin end of the wedge for the countrys exporters and importers. The levy came into effect on October 1 and will be passed onto exporters and importers effectively through the back door as added cost in the supply chain.

 Chairman of the NZ Shippers Council, Mike Knowles said it is an alarming precedent.

“What we’re seeing is a levy that lands on those who have no contractual relationship with the port and therefore no ability to influence the outcome.”

“In our view ports should either be absorbing those increased costs as part of normal business activity, or negotiating them with their commercial clients – the shipping lines; not imposing them on parties who have no ability to review and negotiate rates,” said Mr Knowles.

Mr Knowles said the Shippers Council appreciates that the dramatic increase in insurance premiums in the wake of the Kaikoura earthquake places considerable pressure on providers of supply chain infrastructure. “However, applying a levy on parties who do not have a commercial relationship with the port is not the way forward. We are extremely concerned that this precedent may be adopted by other ports and will strongly oppose any move in that direction.”

The New Zealand Shippers’ Council represents the supply chain interests of major New Zealand shippers, with members across all sectors including importers, exporters, ports, freight forwarders, road and rail. Collectively members move over 60% of NZ containerised exports and a significant amount of bulk exports, imports and domestic volume.

| A NZ Shipping Council release  ||  October 2,  2017   |||

Did you know that it takes over twelve hours to fly from China to the United States? With such a large distance between them, it is not surprising that the regions differ in many ways, from culture to industry. Here, Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director at obsolete industrial parts supplier, EU Automation explains the main differences between the manufacturing markets in the United States and the Asia Pacific region. The fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0, that brings the Internet of Things (IoT) to industry, first began in Germany. Manufacturers worldwide aim to compete with companies by investing in the technology introduced during this period. According to the Global Competitiveness Index, manufacturing is an important industry in both the United States and Asia. America has been a manufacturing power for the majority of its history and greatly contributes to the countries’ economy. The US has also been an innovator in the sector, most notably for inspiring the second industrial revolution with Henry Ford’s ground-breaking assembly line. However, Asia is widely regarded as the manufacturing hub of the world. The largest country in the region, China, has led the manufacturing sector in the last few years and smaller Asian countries are climbing the ranks. These two regions are competing for the top position as the global leader in manufacturing, and the US is expected to overtake China to take the top spot by the end of the decade. So, what does the manufacturing sector look like in each region? Industry 4.0Both countries have embraced the changes introduced by the fourth industrial revolution. Governments in both Asia and North America have introduced policies and incentives to integrate more technology into factories. With automated systems, both manufacturing hubs can increase productivity, offering more customisable products at a lower price and reduce both waste and risk of downtime. Asian manufacturers in leading countries, such as China, were quick to embrace new technology and emerge as innovators in manufacturing. Asia has both invested and produced a high volume of robots to remain competitive. Asia installed around 689,349 industrial robotics units in 2013 and this is expected to increase to around 1.1 million by the end of 2017. Asia is known for its cutting-edge technology, investing in robots and artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionise industry and everyday life. Singapore is leading this innovation, introducing technology to city infrastructure to become a smart nation. In the US, automotive manufacturing is the main sector that benefits from automated assembly lines. Businesses can provide high quality vehicles that are assembled cost-effectively and efficiently. HubsAsia Pacific and North America are both large geographic areas, so it is difficult to pinpoint one specific hub. Different areas of both regions develop at different rates and contribute to the respective economies in different ways. Many Western countries outsource manufacturing labour, relying on Asia to provide the majority of goods, as labour and materials are less expensive. While China is best known for its large factories producing the majority of goods, other countries in Asia Pacific contribute to the manufacturing economy of the region. In India, for example, over 40 per cent of factory work is completed by robots. This is expected to rise to 70 per cent by 2020. India also introduced the “Make in India” initiative in 2014, investing in technology to become a leader of the Industrial IoT revolution. The FutureGovernments across Asia and the US hope to encourage economic growth by investing in automation and manufacturing. In 2011, President Obama introduced the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) to bring government, universities and industries together to invest in emerging technology and enhance the US manufacturing sector. This partnership recommends enabling innovation, securing the talent pipeline and improving the business climate to become leaders in advanced manufacturing. Some governments in Asia are also investing in automation. Made in China 2025 encourages the improvement of production in the country, to move to higher quality manufacturing. Smaller countries, such as India, Korea and Japan, are also hoping to innovate their own respective manufacturing sectors through automating the supply chain. Even though Asia Pacific and the US are separated by the Pacific Ocean, they both rely on manufacturing to support their economies. While they may embrace automation at different rates and with different technologies, it is clear that both areas will continue to be leaders in the sector.

| An EU Automation release  ||  September 29,  2017   |||

Rudolf Mulderij writes in FRESH PlAZA  that demand for Kiwifruit is on the rise worldwide, but the supply has been affected by the weather. "New Zealand harvested less this campaign after a difficult growing season, with a hot winter and a lot of rain," explained a trader. Moreover, the Chilean production is also reported to have dropped, and now Italian kiwis are hitting the market and they also expect a smaller volume due to the impact of frost in certain regions and the dry summer. "As a result, the supply will be much scarcer, while the demand continues to rise," assures a trader.

New Zealand: Zespri is looking for new marketsZespri, the export organization of New Zealand kiwis, is seeing strong growth this season. The SunGold continues to grow in markets like Japan and China. Moreover, their sights are set on other markets in South East Asia, India and North America. The European market is also developing well, with strong demand all year round. Japan is the biggest market this season, accounting for the export of 23 million trays. The second most important market is China, accounting for 22 million trays.

The start of the season in the northern hemisphere is around the corner. The Italian volume is expected to amount to around 5 million trays, which is a notable growth. The company aims for the demand to grow faster than the supply, and that seems to be successful. As a result, priorities have to be set as far as the markets are concerned. For the coming years, significant expansions are expected in the acreage, with another 1,800 hectares in Europe and 400 hectares in New Zealand. The company is working on growth for the SunGold. Eventually, the share of green and yellow kiwis must be split 50/50.

Continue here to read the full article published on FRESHPLAZA  Friday 22 September 2017   |||

Regal blended with power

New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade stands out as the obvious and logical destination for Winston Peters MP in the country’s pending new Parliament.

It combines for Mr Peters the correct blend of high office and of practical power that he requires in the current Parliamentary re-shuffling.

Under New Zealand’s proportional representation system the mix of seats and percentage vote share that his New Zealand First Party achieved leave him as the make-weight in the practical outcome of the general election..

There are two key factors that make MFAT (pronounced M-Fat) as the ministry is rather clumsily described the obvious choice.

The current minister Gerry Brownlee MP holds is essentially as a caretaker whose trouble shooter role has now been amply discharged.

Mr Brownlee will not complain if he is reassigned.

Then there is there is the sharp end of this ministry – the trade one.

Mr Peters believes that it is over focussed on the East, and notably the Middle East, and to the exclusion of markets in the NATO zone.

It is this trade aspect that dovetails neatly into his recent championing of the New Zealand farmer.

His Farmer First positioning was characteristically aimed at his own base.

New Zealand First votes come from traditional National Party supporters who become exasperated with National’s constant tempering of its policies to accommodate the ideological wing of the Labour Party, and only to a slightly lesser extent, the Greens.

The wisdom of Mr Peter’s pro-farmer stance was based on the confusion National has sown with its stance over water.

The National government allowed the whole vexed picture to become hopelessly muddied between the proven danger of agribusiness effluent intruding into potable water at one end; and on the other the vogueish clamour against the export of water in any form.

Mr Peters will not be an entirely welcome figure at the helm of MFAT.

On its diplomatic side, the department listened to the wrong people in the matter of the outcome of the United States presidential race.

It failed to give guidance correctly over the outcome with some embarrassing results.

Among these in practical terms was the New Zealand temporary contingent on the UN Security Council backing the censuring of Israel, a step that alienated National’s staunch support among urban fundamentalists.

Mr Peters is at home with protocol and is familiar with the Foreign Ministry.

Such a role would allocate him the prestige he seeks along with the exposure to ensure that everyone sees that he has it.

He will not wish to get himself tied down in one of the nuts and bolts ministerial departments of the type that will be required to implement several of his high profile announced policies.

These include the referendum on the existence or otherwise of the Maori seats.

Also the broader-based one on trimming the volume of members of parliament which are often viewed as proliferating.

| From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk  ||  Sunday 24 September 2017   |||

The New Zealand economy continued to grow solidly in the June quarter, posting a 0.8 per cent increase in GDP, taking New Zealand's growth rate for the year to 2.7 per cent, Finance Minister Steven Joyce says.

“Our economy continues to outperform many developed nations, underpinned by strong export and domestic demand,” Mr Joyce says. “It is still a challenging international environment, which is why we need to continue with an economic plan that is working for New Zealand.”

New Zealand’s growth over the last year has exceeded that of Australia, the United Kingdom, the USA, the Euro area, Japan, and the average across the whole OECD.

Growth in the quarter was across 11 of 16 industries, including:

• Retail, trade and accommodation (up 2.8 per cent)
• Manufacturing activity (up 1.8 per cent)
• Business services (up 1.1 per cent)
• Transport, postal and warehousing activity (up 3.5 per cent)

Exports rose 5.2 per cent, with exports of goods posting its biggest quarterly increase in 20 years. Overall growth in the quarter was partially offset by the construction sector, which contracted 1.1 per cent in the quarter but up 6.4 per cent from June 2016.

Today’s GDP figures followed on from the release of New Zealand's external accounts yesterday, which showed a current account deficit of 2.8 per cent for the June year.

"This week’s economic growth statistics show that the Government’s consistent economic plan is encouraging businesses to invest and grow more jobs for New Zealanders. It is important to maintain and support business confidence if we are to continue our progress in the years ahead."

| A Beehive release  ||  September 21,  2017   |||

New Zealand company Ubco will officially unveil its newest electric farm bike on the first day of the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland

Ubco’s 2018 dual electric drive (2X2) utility bike aims to allow farmers to ride silently alongside their herd while saving on costs and reducing environmental damage.

In the past, the Kiwi company has received acclaim for previous models of the bike in the US, Australia and New Zealand. Ubco chose to unveil its new model for the first time in Ireland “due to its influential farming community and its suitability for the Irish market”.

The bike reportedly produces no emissions, has no external drivetrain or combustion engine, doesn’t flood when laid on its side and weighs only 63kg.

The bike is also “extremely economical”, costing less than €1/120km to run, the manufacturer claims.

Commenting on the global launch, Ubco CEO Timothy Allan said: “The new 2018 2X2 is designed to take riders further than ever before, allowing them to also explore an on-road environment.

There’s no compromise on power and grunt, but you also have greater control off-road when going up-hill, through mud and forest tracks, or over unsealed roads.

“Aside from that, it’s whisper-quiet – so you can enjoy the environment as you ride.”

Allan also claims that the near-silent running of this cross-paddock transport also creates less stress for stock, as well as maintenance costs being greatly reduced.

According to Ubco, the bike’s lightweight frame and low centre of gravity also make it a safer option than a traditional quad bike.

The electric bike has a range of 120km, with a charge time of between six and eight hours. It also has a top speed of 45kph. Ubco will be located in the New Zealand Pavilion at Stand 268, Row 11, Block 3 at the ‘Ploughing’ site in Co. Offaly.

Trade Minister Todd McClay says a trade agreement with Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru could be worth 10,000 jobs to provincial New Zealand and will give Kiwis unprecedented access to fast-growing Latin American markets.

This comes as Mr McClay calls for public submissions on FTA negotiations with the Pacific Alliance countries.

“Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru combined have 221 million consumers and a GDP of US$3.85 trillion, which is equivalent to the world’s sixth largest economy,” Mr McClay says.

“This is an important market for us now, and we want the public and the business community to consider how they might take advantage of the increased opportunities for both trade and investment that will result from an FTA.”

Mr McClay says increasing trade and business links with the Pacific Alliance will also advance the prospect of New Zealand serving as a trading bridge between South America and Southeast Asia.

“The Government will be pushing hard for a high-quality agreement. It’s important we hear from New Zealanders about what they would like to see prioritised and progressed during negotiations, Mr McClay says”

Mr McClay says negotiations with the Pacific Alliance will begin in the coming months and are expected to progress swiftly. Public submissions are due by October 16.

For more information on how to make a submission, visit: https://mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/free-trade-agreements/agreements-under-negotiation/pacificalliance

| A Beehive release  || September 18, 2017   |||

FreshPlaza - Sep 13, 2017  |  What is expected to be the first of many shipments of tamarillo pulp has left Whangarei en route to a US-based food producer and distributor.

NZ Tamarillo Co-operative recently finalised a major deal with its produce destined to join Serious Foodie's product line as New Zealand Tamarillo Grill Sauce & Marinade and New Zealand Tamarillo Vinegar.

Serious Foodie sells online, through farmers' markets and is distributed into gourmet supermarkets and stores across the US and Canada.

More shipments will follow with the pulp from tamarillos grown in the North by the five orchards in the NZ Tamarillo Co-operative processed into pulp and vinegar concentrate here and then sent to the US in bulk.

Maungatapere based co-operative director/manager Robin Nitschke said he and other members of the Tamarillo Co-operative had been working on the deal for two and a half years and are delighted to have reached another milestone.

The co-operative was established three years ago to have more influence at the beginning of the supply chain by channelling all fruit through one merchant and to provide more choices to add value to the fruit at the end of the supply chain.

"So it is rewarding to finally achieve this milestone," Mr Nitschke said. "The importer tells me that feedback on our tamarillo products from customers in the States is very encouraging, with the potential for rapid growth into the specialty food sector".

Mr Nitschke said that after gaining recognition last year as finalists in the Artisan Food Awards, supermarkets, specialty food outlets and food service companies have been stocking the co-operative's products.

| A FreshPlaza release  || September 13,  2017   |||