Thank you for your dedication

As the year draws to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve achieved together, to thank you for your commitment and dedication, and to look ahead to 2025.

This year, the horticulture sector continued to demonstrate remarkable resilience.

Despite challenges, our collective efforts helped drive New Zealand’s export revenue, ensuring our produce reached global markets. Trade agreements such as the EU-NZ FTA have been pivotal in strengthening these opportunities.

The future looks bright. Export revenue is projected to reach a record $8 billion, a 12 percent increase by 30 June 2025.

At HortNZ, the team has worked hard to represent your interests. We made more than 46 public submissions this year, ensuring grower voices were heard on issues such as environmental regulations.

Our continued engagement on the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme helped ensure important changes were made to secure a sustainable workforce for our industry.

We also marked several significant milestones this year.

There was the successful referendum affirming growers’ support for HortNZ’s work. This endorsement reinforces the importance of our role in advocating for growers and shaping a sustainable future for our industry.

NZGAP celebrated 25 years of supporting growers with an assurance system that reflects world-leading standards. We also relaunched our leadership programme, fostering the next generation of industry leaders.

The Young Grower of the Year competition once again showcased the talent and passion of our emerging growers, while the horticulture sector received well-deserved recognition at the Primary Industry Awards – this is testament to the hard work and innovation of growers across New Zealand.

Our Annual Conference brought us together to share knowledge, network, and discuss the future of our industry. These events highlighted not only our challenges but also the strength of our community.

This year saw the resignation of Nadine Tunley as HortNZ’s CEO. Nadine’s leadership left a lasting impact, and we thank her for her service. We look forward to building on her legacy.

As we look ahead to 2025, we remain committed to strengthening the industry's resilience and supporting growers to thrive.

Thank you for your dedication to growing healthy food for New Zealanders and the world.

On behalf of HortNZ, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.