Changes in the New Zealand apple industry

Change of various forms has been a major issue for every industry but perhaps none more so than the New Zealand apple industry over the past decade. Growers have seen major changes in not only daily issues such as packing requirements, spraying regimes, quality standards and technological improvements, but they have also had to adjust to corporatisation of their previously cooperative industry. This has been accompanied by a change of focus over the years from a production to an increasingly market orientation and is followed by the most recent development of deregulation of the industry. Much of this has come at, or perhaps been prompted by, a time of prolonged difficulty for the industry, particularly in the Nelson area. During the 1990s, growers have faced two or three years of hail damage and low prices on world markets, widely attributed to oversupply. The nature of the industry is changing and this has impacted on growers in a number of ways. This article examines some of the changes and relationships in the industry over the years from a grower perspective. It looks at current patterns, which are evident, including an apparent trend for smaller growers to exit the industry. It also briefly discusses possible outcomes for the future.