3 minute read
Vegetables NZ Inc
LOOKING IN THE MIRROR
Antony Heywood : Vegetables New Zealand Inc. general manager
Let’s look in the mirror. In a recent strategy workshop, the Vegetables New Zealand Incorporated (VNZI) Board and other participants were asked to have a good look at VNZI’s relevance, and what was needed to deliver improvement and value to growers who pay our levy.
Leading up to the workshop, VNZI had a busy couple of months, the Board and executive active with: 1. Roadshows, Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2. Nelson nutrient workshop 3. Strategy workshops and Institute of
Directors training 4. A fall armyworm grower workshop in Gisborne 5. The recruitment of an energy advisor to facilitate an industry energy transformational plan 6. A green light from ‘A Lighter Touch’ for a biodiversity project at the Pukekohe
Demonstration Farm 7. Facilitating a demonstration day for growers from the United States and Australia, as part of the 2035 Oceania Summit 8. Waste Minimisation Conference – connection with retail and supply chain initiatives 9. Four submissions as part of policy consultations. What this list demonstrates is the resource that is needed to be an active grower membership organisation, able to deliver value to its members. Without preempting the recommendations from the strategy workshop, it is plain to see that most vegetable product groups are too small to be effective at delivering the significant impact that needed by growers.
Is it therefore incumbent on Horticulture New Zealand to manage the gap. If a product group drops the ball, there is the expectation that HortNZ is there to pick up the slack, or it is pushed back to growers. Several reports and discussions of late have shown that there is a gap between grower expectations and product group delivery. Product group boards need to consider what is the right thing for members and ask – are we delivering value in line with expectations? VNZI has started the process of ripping off the plaster and asking the questions. What value are we delivering? What is the best structure to deliver value? Are we relevant?
In my experience, organisation structures that work the best have a clear brief, are well resourced and not scared to saying no to out-of-scope options. They also retain flexibility to pivot, when there’s an opportunity to be taken. VNZI has joined other like-minded vegetable groups to ask the question: is the status quo working, or can we align our thinking and resources and deliver better outcomes for growers? Over the next three months, the chairs of several vegetable product groups will chart a course of action to
Different governance structures were discussed at the strategy workshop
answer this question. Is it time to align our organisational structures to deliver more value to our growers and stakeholders? Bigger is not always better, but size does get the attention of external stakeholders like the government.
Government is a large part of why we need resources. As government grows and demands more from sectors like ours, industry bodies need to be better resourced or lose impact.
VNZI would like to hear your commentary on a better structure for the vegetable industry. If you would like to pass on your views, please contact me on antony.
