TomatoesNZ at Asiafruit Logistica

For the first time, TomatoesNZ participated in the AsiaFruit Logistica exhibition, held 2-4 September in Hong Kong. Our stand was part of the very well-received NZ Pavilion.

“Market-led Export” is one of TomatoesNZ’s five growth “strategy planks”.

The purpose of attending this expo was to raise awareness of New Zealand Tomatoes, meet potential customers, and increase our understanding of the Asian markets, with an “end goal” of increasing the value of fresh tomato exports to Asian markets.

Simon Watson, who attended the show on behalf of TomatoesNZ, reported that the expo was double the size of when he last visited two years ago, and still growing at a rate of 30% per annum, and has become an important platform for serious exporters to make new contacts, gauge the mood of the regions markets and rendezvous with existing clients.

“We felt that the very “Kiwi” New Zealand pavilion created a great destination and atmosphere for enquirers and customers.”

For a more detailed report on New Zealand’s Asiafruit presence, please see the Grower magazine.

 

Award wins for fresh tomato suppliers

Congratulations to NZ Hothouse, who took out the MPI New Cultivars/Primary Producers Award category at the NZ Food awards last month.

New Zealand Gourmet are also celebrating being recognised as Countdown’s top performing supplier, being named 2015 “Produce Supplier of the Year” by the supermarket.

 

Board Meeting

The TomatoesNZ board is due to meet in mid-October in Auckland. Items for discussion include:

• Discussions on the increasing Whitefly problem and how to address this;
• Biosecurity update and progress on signing the GIA Deed;
• TNZ strategy initiative review/update;
• Review of Asiafriut Logistica attendance;
• Planning for the 2016 AGM and conference.

 

Membership Applications

Thank you tomato growers; a number of you have already submitted your Tomatoes New Zealand Incorporated membership applications.

If you have not submitted yours yet you can do so online:  www.tomatoesnz.co.nz/about/join-tomatoesnz-incorporated/, or phone Lynda Banks on 04 494 9972 to get a form posted or emailed to you.

 

Aussies recommend against “dumped” canned Italian tomatoes

Australia’s Anti-Dumping Commission recommended last month that duties be imposed on two Italian tomato exporters following a finding that the companies were ‘dumping’ canned tomatoes into Australia.

“The Anti-Dumping Commission’s recommendation is great news for Australian vegetable and potato growers struggling against cheap, inferior foreign imports and rising production costs,” said AUSVEG Deputy CEO Andrew White.

“We hope that the imposition of duties will go some way to levelling the playing field for Australian producers, who must regularly compete against foreign producers with far lower costs of production, who in many cases are receiving government subsidies which further enhance their competitive advantage.”

The Aussie’s recommendation to impose duties is in contrast to the outcome of a similar enquiry in NZ in 2012. Although the Ministry of Economic Development found that some Italian tomatoes were being dumped in NZ, and that Heinz Watties, the complainant, was being negatively affected by cheap imports, they found that there was not enough evidence that it was the dumped tomatoes that were causing “injury” to Heinz Watties, therefore no action was taken.

As reported in last month’s Grower (pgs 22-23), recent changes to NZ Anti-dumping legislation are likely to make it even more difficult for New Zealand producers to object to dumped product in the future, by putting more weight on the benefit to consumers of cheaper goods.