Financial backing for G3 crop

A Western Bay kiwifruit management company is offering financial help to encourage growers to convert their green crops into the new G3 gold variety.

Direct Management Services (DMS) believes G3 is the way forward for New Zealand's kiwifruit industry and will be holding an information evening for growers at Baypark tomorrow night.

DMS director Paul Jones said the company received wide interest from growers keen to learn more about the new variety.

"G3 clearly offers significant future potential for the kiwifruit industry. We believe it is the way forward for New Zealand."

Mr Jones converted some of his family orchard into G3 in 2010, with a successful and profitable first harvest in 2012. He converted more in 2011 and 2012, and he is impressed with the results.

"I think potential growers will be too. G3 was bred for specific attributes, including size, productivity and taste, but it has also turned out to be more Psa tolerant than other varieties, which is a big positive in our current environment.

"Sadly, Psa is never going to be fully eradicated in New Zealand, and while green kiwifruit will be profitable for productive growers, we have to get smarter about how we produce gold - G3 will be the way that we will do that in the future."

G3 delivers on productivity, profits and Psa-tolerance, Mr Jones said.