The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

New Central Otago apricot co-operative sets up for business

Otago Daily Times
21 Aug, 2018 06:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Nigel Hinton

Nigel Hinton

A new grower co-operative company is being set up to manage the release, marketing and licensing of new varieties of apricot.

The varieties, known as NZsummer2, NZsummer3 and NZsummer4, have not yet been given brand names.

An interim board to establish the commercial entity has been appointed and has four directors from Central Otago, including interim chairman orchardist Nigel Hinton, of Alexandra.

Mr Hinton said Summerfruit New Zealand's Apricot Co interim board was a sub-committee of the industry organisation and its role was to work through the establishment process of Apricot Co.

Apricot Co was a working title for the business entity and might change.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said Apricot Co would be responsible for the commercialisation of the new Summerfruit varieties that were developed with Plant and Food Research, including controlling the plantings, and the marketing of the new varieties which were bred to ''deliver excellent consumer appeal''.

''Apricot Co has been discussed within the industry for a number of years as new stonefruit varieties have been developed within the breeding programme with Plant and Food Research,'' Mr Hinton said.

''New varieties of peaches and nectarines etc may also become part of the new entity's business.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''Summerfruit New Zealand members want the commercialisation of these varieties managed by a grower co-operative in the best interests of growers and ensuring the opportunity to grow the new varieties are available to all growers.''

He said the Apricot Co interim board met for the second time in Alexandra last Tuesday and they were in the early stages of its development.

''The final board of AC will be elected according to the constitution, which is still being drafted,'' Mr Hinton said.

''There may be some transition period to the fully elected board.''

Discover more

Ruling confirms fruitgrower concerns

27 Aug 01:00 AM

He said the new varieties of apricot, might lead to a resurgence in the apricot industry — both for the local and export markets.

''There have been some larger trial blocks planted this spring and I believe there is a lot of interest for next season so we will see some results in couple of years.''

He said Summerfruit New Zealand was funding the Apricot Co interim board to set up the legal entity.

''However, the funding model for Apricot Co has yet to be confirmed while the establishment costs and the running costs have yet to finally quantified.

''The final entity will operate as a self-funding commercial enterprise for the mutual benefit of its shareholding members, but the financial structure and funding mechanisms are still being determined,'' he said.

The interim directors also included orchardists Gary Bennetts, of Roxburgh, and Roger Brownlie, of Napier.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Basil Goodman, of Cromwell and Bruno Simpson from Nelson, are the two independent directors, and consultant Earnscy Weaver, of Springvale, Alexandra, is the Summerfruit New Zealand director.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

MenzShed revitalises historic dairy factory for community

The Country

Go fishing with Scott Barrett and Kaiwaka Clothing

The Country

'Yellow gold' with Mark de Lautour on The Country


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

MenzShed revitalises historic dairy factory for community
The Country

MenzShed revitalises historic dairy factory for community

Members raised $110,000 for renovations, independent of council contributions.

15 Jul 03:00 AM
Go fishing with Scott Barrett and Kaiwaka Clothing
The Country

Go fishing with Scott Barrett and Kaiwaka Clothing

15 Jul 02:00 AM
'Yellow gold' with Mark de Lautour on The Country
The Country

'Yellow gold' with Mark de Lautour on The Country

15 Jul 01:34 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP