It's been a busy and productive few weeks for Summerfruit NZ, marked by our successful Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the official start of the season.
Successful AGM and SEC Integration Confirmed
Our AGM was successfully held on Friday 7 November. I want to sincerely thank all 64 members who participated in person or via proxy. Your engagement provided a strong mandate for the society's direction, with all resolutions passed/carried by the membership.
Passing of the constitutional amendments enables the disestablishment of the Summerfruit Exporters Committee (SEC) and the integration of its core functions into Summerfruit NZ. This will serve to streamline our industry's activities, enabling us to deliver core functions, such as annual market monitoring, more efficiently under one roof. It will also directly foster industry cohesion.
Engaging on RSE Uncertainty: Seeking Clarity and Stability
We acknowledge the uncertainty created for our Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) employers by the recent Employment Court ruling (Soapi v Pick Hawke's Bay Incorporated).
This ruling revealed that certain practices relating to deductions, which were previously approved by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) were found to breach core employment legislation. This has created a regulatory paradox where employers are now legally exposed for following MBIE’s own guidance.
The ruling found MBIE-approved deduction schedules breached the Minimum Wage Act and the Wages Protection Act. As RSE employers were following MBIE's instructions on the understanding that this meant following the law, the decision – indicating that this may not be the case – creates an unworkable situation.
We are aware that it is currently unclear what growers should do if the instructions inadvertently cause them to not comply with the law. Businesses hate uncertainty, and this issue risks undermining business confidence in the sector. The situation also risks undermining the viability of the scheme and the Pacific communities it was designed to empower.
Summerfruit NZ is actively engaged with HortNZ and the chief executives of other product groups to advocate for an enduring solution. We are focusing on supporting the sector's push to grant lawful status to MBIE-approved deductions via urgent legislative amendment.
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the important role of the Regional Labour Governance Groups (RLGGs), which I know are working to keep RSE employers engaged on this challenging issue.
The Season Ahead: Quality Focus, Education, and Awareness
On a much brighter note, it's fantastic to see great-looking fruit starting to appear on shelves! At this stage, it's shaping up to be a bountiful season for the consumer with good volumes and excellent quality.
Domestic Market Quality Trial
Following a competitive process, Summerfruit NZ is working with Delytics to run a project that will monitor the quality of summerfruit in the New Zealand domestic market. This is very much a trial, but we are keen to develop more quantitative metrics to understand the consistency and quality of our offering, so we can use this to inform how best to support the industry to continually improve.
The trial involves the random sampling of fruit from distribution centres and supermarkets across the season. Fruit is then sent to a lab where it is assessed for its sweetness, firmness and taste.
Sampling commenced this week, and there will be a consolidated reporting available for members to view on the Summerfruit NZ Portal. We'd like to thank all those parties involved in supporting this initiative.
Category Education and Awareness
We will again be working hard to support education and awareness for the summerfruit category across digital and social media channels. This includes a fresh new initiative we're excited to launch: "Charlotte's Summerfruit Takeover."
This campaign will bring some of our industry's behind-the-scenes stories to life in an educational, light-hearted and engaging way. If you are a producer member and would like to be interviewed, please check your email for the expression of interest form that was sent out earlier this week!
Finally, I’d like to wish all our growers the very best as you move further into the harvest season.