As the season gains momentum and we look ahead, our Annual General Meeting (AGM) – at 12pm on Friday 7 November – is fast approaching. The AGM is an extremely important opportunity for all members to have their say and influence the governance and strategic direction of Summerfruit NZ. The meeting will again be run in a hybrid format, primarily online, from Wellington, and all members are strongly encouraged to participate.
Your engagement is critical, and for those unable to attend the meeting, I want to strongly encourage you to file a proxy form. Your voice matters, and we have made the proxy process a simple online exercise that can be completed easily, even from your mobile phone.
Find out more here.
Integrating the SEC and constitutional changes
A key piece of business at the AGM involves the proposal to amend the Summerfruit NZ constitution. The primary driver for these changes is to enable the planned disestablishment of the Summerfruit Exporters Committee (SEC) and to integrate its core functions into the Society.
At its AGM in April 2025, SEC members unanimously approved motions to disestablish the organisation with a view that its core functions can more efficiently be delivered by Summerfruit NZ. This proposed disestablishment is contingent upon specific agreements with Summerfruit NZ. These include Summerfruit NZ:
- Agreeing to formalise changes to the appointment of exporter representatives, establishing a minimum of two board positions for exporter members (Summerfruit NZ’s current constitution allows for three exporter directors).
- Agreeing to manage the process of annual market monitoring.
- Recognising the current objectives of the SEC.
- Ensuring the continued management of exporter interests within the Horticulture Export Authority (HEA) framework.
- The SEC executive negotiating a new export membership fee with Summerfruit NZ that incorporates the market monitoring activity.
- An agreement being reached on the use of current SEC reserves.
The integration of SEC's functions requires minor adjustments to the Summerfruit NZ constitution, which we worked through with our solicitor.
These proposed changes will not materially alter how Summerfruit NZ operates or how our funds are invested. The current Commodity Levy Order clearly specifies what grower levies can be spent on, which is why we will continue to charge exporters separate fees for export-specific functions. Income from these different sources will remain "ring-fenced" for its specified purpose. The proposed changes were detailed in the notice of AGM and supporting information that was emailed out last week. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a line to discuss.
Early season obstacles
The start of the season has once again demonstrated the inherent challenges of horticulture. Our thoughts are with our Central Otago growers currently dealing with unseasonal cold weather, and we hope they avoid any significant damage. Likewise, we have heard of some hail in the Hawke's Bay, and we hope our growers there have escaped damage. The resilience required in our industry is immense!
We wish all of our growers the very best for the season ahead. Please stay connected, keep talking to your friends and neighbours, stay safe, and be sure to reach out to the Summerfruit NZ team if you have any questions or need to talk.