PMAC weekly update 11th to 18th November

1. New Zealand News: More frontline biosecurity officers protecting NZ; Terrorism and Trade on agenda as Foreign Minister visits the United States; Calls to improve NZ's vegetable security through better freshwater management; Strawberry growers back sector levy; BayWa sees "significant" earnings rise; Change in cargo loaders helped speed up container transfer time; “Retaining a high-quality agreement with China is critical for us"; Apple production area in New Zealand is continuing to expand"; Off Like a Rockit; New Zealand fruit & vegetable prices falling; Financial pressure on rural sector 'likely to get worse; Nanotech wins big grant; Blue rinse in new green party; Increased fines and border refusals proposed under Biosecurity Member’s Bill

2. International news: GAIN reports; India and 16 other nations complain to WTO

about EU’s pesticide residue limits; Japan will tighten controls on flow of brand fruits abroad; ECJ rules on labelling from Occupied Territory; Ranking imports from three countries; Change of stance to imports in China; Background on USDA’s Support Package for Farmers; China strengthens supervision on imported foods; New market observatory for citrus fruit launched; Overview Global Lemon Market; Arunachal kiwi fruit growers try to take on New Zealand; Predicted food trends for 2020; Australian exporters denounce fees; Nestlé and Corbion eye microalgae for ‘next generation’ plant proteins; Let’s put our necks on the line’; FloraLife presents "Sustainability Plan 2025"; AIPH and Union Fleurs publish Statistics Yearbook; Diet lacking in fruit and vegetables is linked to depression

Editors commentThe articles I’d like to draw you attention to in the New Zealand section this week are the article by Mike Chapman calling for greater security for vegetable production and news that Strawberry growers have supported a sector levy. It is good to see the strawberry growers investing in their future and planning for greater exports. The article gives a good overview of where the Strawberry sector wants to go and what its Industry body will be doing to enable that growth. But its perhaps even more important we have the regulations in place to enable growth especially around land change, fertiliser use and adequate water.

In the International section there are two articles that provide some background on how China and the USA are reacting to their “trade war” If you are interested in this area they are both worth a read . The first is the weekly snapshot provided by the Economist which provides insight to Chinas recent change of approach to its trade. The second is a summary of a USDA update which shows just how much money the US is providing in subsidies to support primary producers.

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Then look at the map of the world which shows which country dominates the imports for each country – China, Germany and USA.

1. New Zealand News

1.1. More frontline biosecurity officers protecting NZ Another 51 quarantine officers and four new biosecurity detector dog teams have been trained that will help protect New Zealand from invasive pests and diseases this summer, says Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor. “In recent years we’ve experienced some of the busiest biosecurity summers on record. We’re expecting another huge influx of international travellers this summer. These new officers will give us more biosecurity protection at airports and ports. They will also bolster our defences for mail and cargo. The new officers graduated last week at ceremonies in Auckland. The latest graduates will be based in Auckland (41), Wellington (3), Christchurch (4) and Queenstown (3). A second ceremony saw the graduation of four new detector dog teams (dog and handler). The graduating canines included two beagle/harrier crosses from Biosecurity NZ’s breeding programme.  These larger dogs help with screening backpacks and oversize baggage carried by travellers. Detector dogs are an important biosecurity tool. They are good at detecting risk materials like seeds that can be hard to pick up by x-ray.  Full article available here

1.2. Terrorism and Trade on agenda as Foreign Minister visits the United States

Foreign Minister Winston Peters last week travelled to Washington DC to attend a ministerial meeting focused on defeating ISIS, and to continue pursuing New Zealand’s trade opportunities.Mr Peters will participate in a meeting of Foreign and Defence Ministers from key countries contributing to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. The meeting will be chaired by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “As this Government has repeatedly made clear since taking office two years ago, New Zealand wishes to initiate Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the United States,” Mr Peters says. “This visit will build on an officials meeting last week where our two countries agreed to enhance the bilateral trade and investment relationship. We are looking to take things to the next level,” says Mr Peters. Full article available here

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Commentary 1.3. News from the latest PMAC meetingsAfter each PMAC meeting a summary of key points from the meeting is released via PMAC members. ) ( see http://www.pmac.co.nz/pmac-background.html The latest summary form the 5th November meeting also contains the list of PMAC members for the 2020 year. The full document is available at the PMAC web site here

1.4. Calls to improve NZ's vegetable security through better freshwater management

Securing New Zealand's commercial vegetable future was a key part of HortNZ's submission to the recent "Action for healthy waterways" consultation process. The NZ Government recently concluded the consultation process on the quality of water, which received 17,000 submissions, and HortNZ is hoping for some provisions to start to be introduced next year.

Chief Executive Mike Chapman says there are concerns that domestic vegetable supply will not be sustainable with future population growth. HortNZ submitted that under the Resource Management Act, that there is a national environmental standard be made for commercial vegetable production."We need to ensure that we can continue to grow commercial vegetables, because we obviously need to feed New Zealand, and there is an export market as well," Mr Chapman said. "The national environmental standard would apply across the whole country. It would override individual council rules and create one regime that would allow for the producing of vegetables in sustainably and environmentally friendly way. In the interim, until we can get a national environmental standard, we are proposing crop rotation and other enablers for vegetable growing."

Another issue that HortNZ highlighted was the proposal that places limitations on irrigation for large-scale horticultural farms. Mr Chapman says new precision irrigation techniques control nutrient application and limit leaching. "What we are also asking for is that irrigation for new developments larger than 10 hectares be permitted for fruit and other low intensity growing," Mr Chapman said. "You are not going to be able to put in a large orchard, or put berries in under cover, without having water. Our submission is that, as they improve water policy, irrigation should be permitted."

HortNZ also reinforced its support of audited Farm Management Plans, which Mr Chapman says are the best way to go to ensure that vegetable and fruit growers are following good practice, and minimising their environmental impact. ‘Also, that there should be no limitation on changing land use to horticulture, provided this is done under independently audited Farm Environment Plans," he added. "Growers know how to manage their land and water resources for successive generations. Let the growers apply their expertise and hold them accountable through independently audited Farm Environment Plans.’ To read HortNZ’s full submission, click here.

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1.5. Strawberry growers back sector levy Strawberry growers have recently backed a sector levy. A levy will help modernise the $35 million strawberry industry, says Michael Ahern, executive manager of Strawberry Growers NZ Inc.This may include expanding its $8.8m export industry. Ahern explains that newcomers to the industry have different growing seasons and they are prolonging the season.  “There will be export volumes at times of the year when we don’t produce at the moment. So that’s a positive,”

Current production is intensely seasonal, with a big surge from October to early December. “We would love to develop more export markets around that pre-Christmas time just to take the pressure off the local situation. One of the benefits of the booming trade is we have a lot more flights coming into the country… and then going out more importantly, to a huge range of destinations. “Everything has to be airfreighted with strawberries, it is not a sea-freight product. There are freight possibilities that we could have only dreamed of 30 years ago.”

The proposed compulsory levy received 84% support on an individual grower basis and 71% on a weighted volume basis. This now allows Strawberries NZ to proceed with an application to the Minister of Agriculture. Ahern hopes that approval will come through by Christmas, with final legislation in place by the end of February, so the new funding mechanism can be introduced by the new season.

Another key issue behind the levy proposal for Strawberry Growers NZ is that it is currently funded by one dominant plant producer which is a 100% subsidiary of the industry body, Ahern says.“There are new entrants and we want to bring those new entrants into the fold, into the church. There are new ideas, new ways of growing, new plant material and therefore this system that has worked very well in the past may not be appropriate going forward.

“The board has decided now to go out and broaden the catchment of members and so everybody gets to pay, which is a fairer system. When we have canvassed newcomers, they are quite keen on the idea. It is genuinely intended to be a more inclusive industry where everybody now pays the industry good component.” The levy funds will be spent in the specific areas outlined in the consultation document (visit www.strawbsnz.co.nz) because that document is all important when seeking a commodity levy, he told Hort News.  We need to get involved in things that actually affect everyone. Biosecurity is a big issue, so is provision of labour -- it is a monster in fact -- food safety regulations and compliance, and export market access. 

“There are a few others but those ones have to be done on a collective basis and they are best done so. No individual operator could really take on those issues by themselves. “That mainly involves working with government agencies who want to deal with a single body as well. “All of that requires expertise: you’ve got to run the place, you’ve got to

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keep up to speed, you might have to contract specialist knowledge and services, and there are endless meetings in Wellington which all costs money.  “No one really like levies, let’s face it. If it is articulated to them that it is not excessive and it is about right for what they need to do collectively then they will sign on.”

Ahern says there are much greater governance demands when you are granted a levy by the Government which is similar to “the power to tax your constituents”.  “It is fairly powerful, there are obviously strings that go with that,” he explained.  “There are a bunch of rules the board will need to comply with every year by way of information and reporting to the minister to be sure you are behaving yourself and acting in accordance with the detailed rules of running a commodity levy. “That leads to greater transparency because a key part of the operation of a commodity levy is the reporting that you do at your annual meeting. That has to be really well organised, a budget for the new year has to be laid out and that has to be approved by the growers every year.”

A levy rate of $26/1000 strawberry plants sold is planned. Currently the peak body for commercial strawberry growers, Strawberry Growers New Zealand Inc, is funded voluntarily by members plus a dividend from its 100% subsidiary NZ Berryfruit Propagating Company Ltd.  Strawberry Growers NZ has over 70 paid up members which account for about 75% of total production. The levy is expected to raise about $375,000 per year. Full article available here 1.6. BayWa sees "significant" earnings riseThe BayWa Group's global produce business unit performed well, largely thanks to business within Germany. Its financial results (for the nine months ended 30 September, with revenues up slightly to €12.5bn from €12.2bn in 2018, and EBIT increasing significantly to €77.3m from €28.3m.

Global produce saw a notable increase thanks to business within Germany, as the company was able to market the remaining volume of the previous year’s record harvest at good prices and because the new marketing season started with brisk demand. "In the international fruit business, T&G Global was successful in the Asia-Pacific market in particular, thanks to specialities such as grapes, berries and citrus fruit."

BayWa said that it expected the positive development to continue in both agricultural areas in the final quarter of the year. Full article available here

1.7. Change in cargo loaders helped speed up container transfer timeT&G Pipfruit exported 750, 40-foot reefers from its Otago coldstore in 2019 and expects the coldstore to process between 900 and 1,000 containers next year. Each reefer weighs between 26 and 32 tonnes but with no docks at the coldstore must be positioned on the ground for loading. During peak season, the coldstore packs and dispatches 10 – 20 containers a day. This article describes equipment that has been introduced by T&G Global to make the loading faster and more efficient Full article available here

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1.8. “Retaining a high-quality agreement with China is critical for us"New Zealand’s apple and pear growers and exporters have welcomed news of the China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) upgrade and substantial progress with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

NZ Apples & Pears chief executive, Alan Pollard, praised the efforts made by Trade Minister David Parker, Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade negotiators to progress these two critical agreements. “In 2019, over half of our exports have gone to Asia, with China becoming our second largest market,” Pollard says. “Retaining a high-quality agreement with China is critical for us to maintain our advantage in that market, and the outcome reflects the very positive relationship that exists between our two governments.“With the RCEP covering around half the world’s population, and the hope that India (who we are yet to conclude a bilateral agreement with) will reconsider its participation at a later date, the opportunities that these agreements present for our industry are substantial.”

“The government’s success in achieving very good trade and market access outcomes gives industry confidence to continue to invest in new plantings and new technologies to ensure that we can take advantage of these opportunities as they open up. If we can’t meet that increasing demand our competitors will.” Full article available here

1.9. Apple production area in New Zealand is continuing to expand"The USDA released a GAIN report this week that provides data on New Zealand’s Apple production . It states production and exports continue to increase in New Zealand. Apple exports are forecast to be up four percent at 405,000 metric tons in 2019/2020, following a six percent increase in 2018/2019. New plantings of deciduous fruit trees continue to expand the total planted area by three to four percent per year.However, now constraints include the severe shortage of suitable land with water availability in the largest apple region, Hawkes Bay, and new environmental regulations being proposed that are likely to increase operating costs and may restrict land-use change rights over the whole country.

FAS/Wellington is forecasting 2019/2020 apple production at 598,000 metric tons (MT), 3.7 percent greater than 2018/2019. Primarily the increase is due to the expanded harvested area. However, production prospects are likely to be tempered by a few factors including: lower yields likely from the younger first harvest trees; an already anticipated harvest labor shortage; and the late removal of Braeburn trees following the very poor export prices achieved in 2018/2019. Click here for the full report. Full article available here

1.10. Off Like a RockitThe CEO of the company that grows and sells New Zealand's tiny Rockit apple says none-one expected the apple to be so popular. "It's blown away everybody's expectations,

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which is terrific," Rockit's Austin Mortimer says. He says Rockit is the only miniature apple available globally.

Rockit apples are now returning about $150,000 per hectare to growers. The first export shipment of Rockit headed for Taiwan in 2013. The apples, sold overseas in distinctive plastic tubes and in small cardboard trays in New Zealand,  are now in 27 markets.

"In Japan there's a massive demographic of people living alone and Japanese apples are huge, I mean almost like basket balls ...so they don't eat apples because they can't eat them in one sitting.

Austin says there's also a niche market for Rockit apples in countries that have started to charge people for their waste. The apple's size means it won't be thrown out."Five or six bites and you're done, unless you want to get through the whole core," he says with a smile. New Zealand is the home of Rockit  but it is now grown under license in the UK, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium and in the US to ensure a year round supply. Full article available here

1.11. New Zealand fruit & vegetable prices fallingIn New Zealand, the price of avocados has dropped to its lowest in almost three years, and the price of other fruit and veg is also falling. Stats New Zealand says avocado prices are down to $7.50 a kilogram from a record high in May this year of $28. Tomato, lettuce and cucumber prices all fell more than 20 percent between September and October, but strawberries and potatoes were up. Food prices overall increased 2.5 percent in the year to October.

Bits and pieces1.12. Financial pressure on rural sector 'likely to get worseArbitrators' and Mediators' Institute Executive Director Sue Wells reports that financial pressure on the rural sector is likely to increase, with the Farm Debt Mediation Bill going before parliament this week for its second reading. If the Bill is passed, it will require secured creditors to offer mediation to farmers before taking enforcement action if farmers default on payments. Mrs Wells reports that some farmers are already under a lot of pressure financially and policy changes such as those for fresh water and biosecurity is likely to increase this pressure. The Bill has been received positively throughout the sector Full article available here

1.13. Nanotech wins big grant The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Endeavour Fund has granted a Lincoln University research team a $1 million grant in order to apply nanotechnology to agriculture to help increase productivity and reduce environmental impacts. Lincoln

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University Associate Professor Craig Bunt has reported that his team will use the funding to develop a ground breaking nano-coating that can be applied to fertiliser to control its rate of release into soil and to seeds to control the timing of germination which will help to contain nitrogen losses in soil and waterways. If successful, the technology should also help to increase crop yields, due to an increase in the ability to control weeds before the seeds germinate. Full article available here

1.14. Blue rinse in new green partySustainable New Zealand is the country’s newest environmentally focused party and their agenda includes revisiting gene editing, putting the right trees in the right places and helping farmers adjust to environmental regulations. The party is led by Business Broker Vernon Tava, who hopes to have candidates standing in the provinces and aims to strike the right balance between capitalism and sustainability. Mr Tava welcomes the latest bipartisan support for the Zero Carbon Bill that has just passed through Parliament, which will help the country to meet Paris Accord commitments however states that it is crucial farmer’s voices are heard in order to fix freshwater proposals. In coming weeks the party will be fielding candidates, focusing on 10 key seats where it feels their chances are best.Full article available here

Biosecurity 1.15. Increased fines and border refusals proposed under Biosecurity

Member’s Bill Clutha-Southland MP Hamish Walker has launched a Member’s Bill which proposes to give border officials the authority to refuse entry to the country to people who knowingly bring in high-risk biosecurity items. The Bill will increase infringement fees from $400 to $1000 for those at the border who attempt to bring in illegal biosecurity items and also allow officers to refuse entry to those who are attempting to breach biosecurity laws. Mr Walker has stated how important prevention is in helping to protect New Zealand’s borders, so the added fines and entry refusal will help dissuade breaches. More people are travelling to New Zealand each year which increases the risk of biosecurity breaches occurring. Full article available here

2. International news

Comment 2.1. GAIN reportsGain reports are from the “Global Agricultural Information Network” and are produced by the USDA. They are designed to provide timely information on the economy, products and issues in foreign countries that are likely to have an impact on United States

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agricultural production and trade. The information in them is written for USA exporters but the majority is equally relevant to New Zealand. With regard to import regulations for a particular market New Zealand exporters should first check the countries ICPR on MPI’s web site. These are collated specifically for New Zealand product. However the Gain reports often provide additional information that is useful e.g. on grading and labelling, economic profiles.

To see the full report go to the Gain web site (https://gain.fas.usda.gov/) and search for the country and any reports released in the last month. This week see:

a) China Fresh Deciduous Fruit Annual China’s marketing year (MY) 2019/20 production of deciduous fruit, especially apples and pears, is expected to rebound sharply from the previous year’s low levels.

b) New Zealand Fresh Deciduous Fruit Annual Apple production and exports continue to increase in New Zealand. Apple exports are forecast to be up four percent at 405,000 metric tons in 2019/2020, following a six percent increase in 2018/2019.

c) Turkey Fresh Deciduous Fruit Annual Marketing Year 2019/20 is forecast to be a better year for fresh deciduous fruits in general with pear and table grape production increasing, while apple production remains stable.

Regulatory2.2. India and 16 other nations complain to WTO about EU’s pesticide

residue limitsIndia and sixteen other countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and the US have complained at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the EU decision to amend its policy on the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for a wide range of pesticides mainly used in the cultivation of citrus fruit and bananas.

The countries raised the matter at the meeting of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures on November 7-8 in Geneva and underlined that the new requirements were not backed by science. Full article available here

2.3. Japan will tighten controls on flow of brand fruits abroadThe Agriculture Ministry of Japan plans to tighten regulations on taking domestically developed varieties of grapes, strawberries and other farm products out of the country. These measures are meant to protect their brand value from unfair international competition. The Ministry will submit a revision to the plant variety protection and seed

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act during next year's ordinary session of the Diet, the country's parliament, the sources said.

The move comes after it was found several years ago that seedlings of the high-quality Shine Muscat grape, registered as a new variety in Japan in 2006, were leaked to South Korea and China, impeding the expansion of exports. In Southeast Asia, Japanese-grown Shine Muscats, which sell for as high as more than 10,000 yen (€83) per bunch at home, were forced to compete with cheap South Korean- and Chinese-grown counterparts raised without permission, according to the sources.

The disadvantage is blamed on a deficiency in the plant variety protection law, which did not foresee the exportation of agricultural goods. Under current rules, varieties registered with the Japanese government are protected domestically as intellectual property, necessitating permission for cultivation. Full article available here

2.4. ECJ rules on labelling from Occupied TerritoryThe European Court of Justice has ruled that products from Israeli settlements must be labelled to allow consumers to make “informed choices” “Foodstuffs originating in the territories occupied by the state of Israel must bear the indication of their territory of origin,” the ECJ concluded.

The decision was welcomed by human rights groups, but received criticism in Israel.European consumers are entitled to be confident that the products they purchase are not linked to serious violations of international humanitarian law.” Israel has argued that the labelling policy is unfair and discriminatory and that other countries involved in land disputes have not been similarly sanctioned.Full article available here

2.5. Ranking imports from three countries

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Full article available here

2.6. Change of stance to imports in China Commentary from Simon Baptist (The economists Global Chief Economist and Managing Director) this week has made the following observations.

Nobody will be surprised to hear that China's trade performance has been under a lot of pressure this year. As well as the US-China trade war, the country has experienced currency volatility, a slowdown in growth in some major trading partners, and exposure to global weakness in electronics demand. Yet trade has been making a big contribution to China's GDP growth rate so far this year, and the trade surplus has been rising. We are expecting official GDP growth to be 6.2% this year (the number is likely a little inflated to keep it above the 6% mark); without the beneficial impact from trade, it would end up at around 5%. 

The positive growth impact amid a challenging trade environment comes because imports are dropping a lot faster than exports. An important dynamic in the trade war is that US and Chinese policies work in different ways. US policy is based on the government setting price and regulatory parameters, and firms operating within them. So for example, the US will set a tariff and the price signal from that will affect firms' import choices. Chinese policy will also use this lever, but there is a greater focus on opaque regulations and directives—particularly where state-owned firms are concerned—and so some outcomes are also achieved through diktat. My view is that Chinese officials underestimated Trump's seriousness on trade sanctions throughout 2018, thinking that the pressure on exports would be temporary, and so only took strong action to reduce certain imports. As a result, trade was a drag on growth. From January 2019, however, the understanding changed. From that point onwards, US imports have been dropping substantially. Combined with weak consumer and investor sentiment, which has concurrently weighed on genuine import demand, policy directives have increased the

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trade surplus, yielding a net positive impact on growth. Both sides are hurting, but the mechanisms by which the pain is felt are different.2.7. Background on USDA’s Support Package for Farmers:President Donald J. Trump earlier this year directed Secretary Perdue to craft a second relief strategy to support American agricultural producers while the Administration continues to work on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets to help American farmers compete globally.

Specifically, the President authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide up to $16 billion in programs, which is in line with the estimated impacts of unjustified retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods and other trade disruptions. In May, Secretary Perdue announced these actions to assist farmers in response to trade damage from unjustified retaliation and trade disruption:

MFP for 2019, authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act is providing $14.5 billion in direct payments to producers.

Additionally, CCC Charter Act authority is being used to implement a $1.4 billion Food Purchase and Distribution Program (FPDP) through the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to purchase surplus commodities affected by trade retaliation such as fruits, vegetables, for distribution to food banks, schools, and other outlets serving low-income individuals.

Finally, the CCC has used its Charter Act authority for $100 million to be issued through the Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP) administered by the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) to assist in developing new export markets on behalf of producers.

For more information on the MFP, visit www.farmers.gov/mfp or contact your local FSA office, which can be found at www.farmers.gov.

2.8. China strengthens supervision on imported foodsChina plans to put in place newly revised food safety regulations this December. Sun Meijun, Deputy Director of the State Administration for Market Regulation, said at a news briefing on the 12th that these regulations will strengthen the risk control measures for imported foods and increase the obligations of importers, further strengthen the control of food sources and prevent substandard food from entering the market.

These new regulations also stipulate that in the cases that a food safety incident outside China may affect the country, or if serious food safety issues are discovered during port inspection and quarantine, the entry-exit inspection and quarantine department shall promptly carry out pre-emptive risk warnings and take measures such as returning or destroying goods, or prohibiting imports. Importers may need to import certain foods to designated ports when the need for risk management calls for this measure.

Over recent years, with the consumption upgrading, the market of imported food and produce in China has grown rapidly. Statistics from the country show that the growth rate of its fruit, aquatic products, and pork imports in the first three quarters stood around

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40%. As the market scale expands, imported foods have also presented security concerns. Full article available here

2.9. New market observatory for citrus fruit launchedOn 13 November 2019 in Brussels, the European Commission launched the new Market Observatory for Citrus fruit. Full article available here

Business/ Industry2.10. Overview Global Lemon MarketThis article provides a summary of production and expectations for South Africa, Netherlands, Spain Germany , France. Italy , Turkey, China, USA, Mexico, Argentina and Australia.   Full article available here

2.11. Arunachal kiwi fruit growers try to take on New ZealandThe ‘anteri’ was merely another wild fruit growing in the jungles of the Ziro valley in Arunachal Pradesh's Lower Subansiri district. But a decade ago, a few farmers realised that anteris were in fact, kiwis. At that time, New Zealand and had monopoly among kiwi lovers in the Indian markets. Now, the equally sweet, organically grown kiwis of Arunachal Pradesh are gradually making a mark in the marts and malls, despite numerous problems with storage and transportation.

Over 250 hectares of land in Ziro are now under kiwi cultivation and nearly 175 farmers are now registered for selling their produce. Farmers in and around Tawang and Bomdila, situated at an altitude of 6,500 feet to 8,000 feet, close to China border are also similarly selling kiwis now.Full article available here

2.12. Predicted food trends for 2020 FreshDirect, a Northeastern U.S. fresh food grocer, announced its top food trends for 2020. The trends list was curated by FreshDirect's in-house team of specialists. The trends are summarized below. 

Plant based foods continue to evolve and expand into more categories. In 2020, cauliflower will remain a top gluten substitute.

Regenerative agriculture is a relatively new concept aimed at combating the strain that traditional farming practices put on the earth. Increasing the soil quality and fertility of the land not only helps the environment, but also allows the animals raised there to be healthier and happier.

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On-the-go food and snacks While snacks of the past can be unhealthy, the snacking of tomorrow consists of bite sized superfoods, healthy snack kits and subscription boxes. 

Functional beverages and gut health continue to drive food choices in today’s consumer market. The trend is expanding into snacks as well.

Transparency and traceability Consumers have become increasingly educated on the food supply chain, ingredients and the environmental impact of what they eat. Because of this, many brands are introducing source traceability into their packaging so that consumers can learn exactly where certain ingredients are sourced and how they’re harvested.

Full article available here

2.13. Australian exporters denounce feesThe Australian Horticultural Exporters’ and Importers’ Association (AHEIA) has joined other industry bodies in condemning a proposal increasing fees and charges for export certification activities. ccording to AHEIA, Australia’s Federal Department of Agriculture is proposing increases as much as 277 per cent for some certification activities. AHEIA is preparing a detailed response to government and encouraged its members to provide input before the consultation period closes on 10 December.Full article available here

2.14. Nestlé and Corbion eye microalgae for ‘next generation’ plant proteins A strategic partnership has been entered into by Swiss food manufacturer Nestlé and Dutch ingredients supplier Corbion in order to develop a range of microalgae-based ingredients for plant-based applications. The companies are working towards creating sustainable plant-based products. The agreement aims to create a platform for the production and commercialisation of algae-based products. Microalgae are a source of protein that is vegan and also have complete amino acid profilesFull article available here

2.15. Let’s put our necks on the line’ Olam Co-Founder and Group CEO Sunny George Verghese is calling for companies to disclose their carbon, water, land and waste footprints in order to address the climate emergency currently at hand. My Verghese stated that the current global food and agricultural system is broken, accounting for 25 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Mr Verghese states that every calorie consumed requires excess water levels to create and that this needs to be fixed fast. He also believes that governments are doing all they can, but now it is up to individual sectors to make the change fast and transparency is the way forward. Full article available here

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Floral news

2.16. FloraLife presents "Sustainability Plan 2025"FloraLife, a division of Smithers-Oasis Company, presents a long-term sustainability plan targeted for 2025 that implements the reduce, re-use, recycle and respect principles in four areas: water, innovation, production and consumption, and climate action. Click here to find out what the plan entails Full article available here

2.17. AIPH and Union Fleurs publish Statistics YearbookThe International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), in association with Union Fleurs – the International Flower Trade Association, has published ‘International Statistics - Flowers and Plants 2019’. The 67th version of this annual publication contains current available data on the global production and trade of ornamental plants and flowers.

New data contained in the 2019 Statistics Yearbook includes: Per capita consumption figures for Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, UK,

Japan and USA Data on area and production for Malaysia Additional summary information for Canada, the Netherlands and the USA A new country table and map for Australia New graphs and additional information for Colombia, Japan and the USA Extended trade tables for the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Morocco and New

Zealand. Two new world maps showing the most important producing and exporting

countries of cut flowers.

The 2019 Yearbook can be purchased from AIPH at http://aiph.org/international-statistics-flowers-and-plants-2019/ Full article available here

Health 2.18. Diet lacking in fruit and vegetables is linked to depressionResearchers at the University of Toronto found that a lower intake of fruits and vegetables was associated with a higher incidence of depression in both men and women. Click here to read the full article.

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Disclaimer Please note this information has been accessed from emails that have been forwarded to info@PMAC.co.nz and are distributed as a weekly update. If you intend using this information please sight the original document to ensure you are aware of the context within which any changes have been made and to guard against any transcription changes

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