The Chief Executive: Supporting growers and a thriving industry

Supporting growers and a thriving industry

As you read this column in early July, it will be a good four weeks since I started in my role as Horticulture New Zealand chief executive.

By Nadine Tunley Chief Executive : HortNZ

Over that time, I have been on several regional visits meeting passionate and enthusiastic people from across the horticulture sector. I have also met quite a few government Ministers and officials over a similar time period.

For those of you that do not know, I have been in horticulture before, predominantly in the apple and pear industry as an exporter, director and chair. I have just spent the past four years in the Mānuka Honey industry and have been fortunate to be involved in several other roles across the food and fibre sector. In all of this, I have enjoyed my grower and farmer interactions above all. In deciding to apply for, and subsequently accepting this role with Horticulture New Zealand, the purpose of the organisation – Creating an enduring environment where growers thrive – was a key influence in my decision process. I know from the growers I have met with over the past few weeks that many of you are struggling to see that purpose materialising at the moment. In addition, now I have met with HortNZ staff and some of the product groups, and read substantial amounts of material around the considerable number of issues facing the entire primary sector at the moment, it is little wonder that many of you are feeling frustrated, and in some cases, uncertain.

I have always been a strong proponent of everyone playing to their strengths, but in the current environment it often feels like the expectation is that you are to be able to play every position on the field. Not only do you need to be the best growers in the world but you need to be chemists, environmentalists, economists, counsellors, health and safety experts, socialists, innovators and entrepreneurs. Creating an enduring environment where growers thrive feels anything but.

When I became chair of Pipfruit NZ, we were being referred to as a sunset industry by key politicians. As I take up the role of HortNZ chief executive, we have a government now saying that the horticulture sector will be one of the guiding lights for New Zealand agriculture, as an alternate land use option to assist with economic recovery, post Covid-19 and amidst climate change challenges. One of my key concerns is to ensure that the horticulture sector is not overburdened with unrealistic expectations. As growers, all of you know and understand that your successes have not been a matter of luck. Rather, they have been the product of a long and often arduous journey, which involved many years of refining your knowledge and expertise – as individuals, as an industry and at times, in cooperation with research institutes. Those investments of both time and money are not just simply replicated.

I will be doing the best I can to provide an environment in which you can thrive

In summary, it will be my job and that of the HortNZ team to ensure we are here to support you, advocate, and ensure you benefit from the skills and expertise the Hort team has amassed. The next 12 to 24 months may at times feel relentless but I will be doing the best I can to provide an environment in which you can thrive, play to your strengths, and get on with what you set out to be: the best growers of healthy food in the world.