Industry Information

Overview > Opportunities > New Zealand GAP

Overview

The fresh vegetable industry has encountered considerable change in recent years, with the restructuring of the wholesale industry, development of sophisticated customer requirements, and greater consumer demand. With over 50 fresh vegetable products, research and development (R&D) has difficulty keeping pace with the needs of producers and demands from a large product base. Growers have become customer-oriented and now 'sell and produce' rather than 'produce and sell' as in the past.

The fresh vegetable industry acknowledges that attributes such as nutrition, health, aesthetic values, and convenience all have a major impact in the success of fresh vegetables on the competitive food market.

Opportunities

Increased demand for fresh, convenient produce has opened a window of opportunity in regions such as Asia, where high quality, safe and healthy food is sought.

Industry has the ability to produce residue-free vegetables using environmentally sound management practices to meet increasing environmental concerns.

Retention of quality fresh products enables the Product Group to be competitive in the fresh food industry which continues to compete against processed and fast foods.

New Zealand GAP

New Zealand GAP is the name of the New Zealand Fresh Produce Approved Supplier Programme. GAP stands for Good Agricultural Practice.

New Zealand GAP is a quality assurance programme that provides a traceable, accountable system from crop to customer for the production of fruit, vegetables and flowers. Fresh vegetable growers were instrumental in developing and promoting the programme through VegFed as it was known prior to the formation of Horticulture New Zealand. By meeting the standards required by the programme, New Zealand GAP Approved Suppliers are able to demonstrate to their customers that their products are of an acceptable quality, produced in a sustainable manner and safe to eat.

All Approved Suppliers are independently audited and monitored by AgriQuality New Zealand, and must continuously meet the New Zealand GAP criteria to ensure on-going accreditation.

More details on the New Zealand GAP programme can be found at www.newzealandgap.co.nz

Agrecovery Rural Recycling programme

The Agrecovery Rural Recycling programme provides New Zealand’s primary sector with responsible and sustainable systems for the recovery of ‘on-farm’ plastics and the disposal of unwanted chemicals. Information on the programme can be downloaded by clicking here. The Agrecovery website is www.agrecovery.co.nz

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Industry Information Overview > Opportunities > New Zealand GAP Overview The fresh vegetable industry has encountered considerable change in recent years, with the restructuring of the wholesale industry, development of sophisticated customer requirements, and greater consumer demand. With over 50 fresh vegetable products, research and development (R&D) has difficulty keeping pace with the needs of producers and demands from a large product base. Growers have become customer-oriented and now 'sell and produce' rather than 'produce and sell' as in the past. The fresh vegetable industry acknowledges that attributes such as nutrition, health, aesthetic values, and convenience all have a major impact in the success of fresh vegetables on the competitive food market. Opportunities Increased demand for fresh, convenient produce has opened a window of opportunity in regions such as Asia, where high quality, safe and healthy food is sought. Industry has the ability to produce residue-free vegetables using environmentally sound management practices to meet increasing environmental concerns. Retention of quality fresh products enables the Product Group to be competitive in the fresh food industry which continues to compete against processed and fast foods. New Zealand GAP New Zealand GAP is the name of the New Zealand Fresh Produce Approved Supplier Programme. GAP stands for Good Agricultural Practice. New Zealand GAP is a quality assurance programme that provides a traceable, accountable system from crop to customer for the production of fruit, vegetables and flowers. Fresh vegetable growers were instrumental in developing and promoting the programme through VegFed as it was known prior to the formation of Horticulture New Zealand. By meeting the standards required by the programme, New Zealand GAP Approved Suppliers are able to demonstrate to their customers that their products are of an acceptable quality, produced in a sustainable manner and safe to eat. All Approved Suppliers are independently audited and monitored by AgriQuality New Zealand, and must continuously meet the New Zealand GAP criteria to ensure on-going accreditation. More details on the New Zealand GAP programme can be found at www.newzealandgap.co.nz Agrecovery Rural Recycling programme The Agrecovery Rural Recycling programme provides New Zealand’s primary sector with responsible and sustainable systems for the recovery of ‘on-farm’ plastics and the disposal of unwanted chemicals. Information on the programme can be downloaded by clicking here. The Agrecovery website is www.agrecovery.co.nz	Strengths Increasing domestic and export industry value Healthy, nutritious, and versatile fresh products Variety of products and new crops Commitment to Research and Development Establishment of a Quality Assurance Programme Projections Export volumes are expected to increase due to New Zealand's ability to provide a variety of quality fresh vegetables all year round and the development of post-harvest technology and delivery systems will ensure produce will reach export markets in excellent condition.

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