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Our Vision

Vegetables New Zealand's vision is to create a thriving vegetable growing industry. 

To achieve this, Vegetables NZ provides growers with the opportunity to have a united voice, so that central and local government understand the policies and regulations that are needed to ensure growers and their communities prosper.

Our goal is to build fresh vegetable sales to $600m by 2025.

Vegetables NZ has developed its resources to meet the goals of its five core pillars. The outcome of our work will be resilient growers, who can adapt to and meet environmental, social, cultural, and financial challenges.

Five core pillars underpin our vision

Goal

Vegetable growing is a highly regarded industry that actively contributes and is listened to by decision-makers and the public. 

 

Priorities to our growers

Harnessing relationships

We work with our industry partners to give the best advantage to our growers when working with the Government and public. 

 

Themes:

  • Promotion activity
  • Social engagement platform
  • Data relevant to crop and value
  • Grower, government and public engagement
  • Relationship and PR plan
  • Country of Origin Labelling (CooL) / provenance engagement
  • Iwi engagement

 

Goals

Fresh NZ vegetables are desirable in NZ and globally. They are the foundation to a healthy lifestyle and community. 

 

Priorities to our growers

Food security

Fresh NZ vegetables are integral to a healthy diet and are sought after by all consumers

 

Themes

  • Consumer insights
  • Food security planning
  • Vegetable group workplan alignment - grower-base projects and extension
  • Market access
  • Vegetable export stocktake 

Goals

New Zealand grown vegetables have recognised value, overcoming future challenges, with growth and diversity. 

 

Priorities to our growers

Enabling success

Vegetable growers will have industry support and information to help them navigate potential challenges and build resilience.

 

Themes

  • Regional Career Progression Manager network
  • Leadership development in vegetable sector
  • International new technology scan
  • Leadership outreach with Ausvege 
  • Succession planning and director training
  • Resilience building and benchmarking of vegetable growers

Goals

Vegetable growers respect the environment they gro win. 

 

Priorities to our growers

Future-proof our farms (research & development)

NZ vegetable growers have access to research and innovation that enables improved sustainable growing practices.

 

Themes

  • Proxy for scale - build relevant resources through partnership with HortNZ
  • Government Industry Agreement (GIA) - Multi Vege Sector Operational Agreement (OA) for response activity 
  • Energy project for covered crops
  • Farm Environment Plans (FEP) for our growers
  • Information systems for our levy, biosecurity and membership
  • VR&I / VNZI research to mitigate grower risk in Resource Management Act (RMA) / Water / Climate change
  • Data interoperability to benefit growers

Goals

Commerically grown NZ vegetables are safe and good for you.

 

Priorities to our growers

Good for our people and communities

Consumption of a diverse range of fresh, NZ-grown vegetables builds a healthy lifestyle for all. 

 

Themes

  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reassessments 
  • New chemical registrations
  • International scan on new chemistry
  • IPM development
  • Enduring Outcomes workstreams into 'A Lighter Touch' project
  • NZGAP and Food Act support
  • Embed FEP into vegetable systems
  • Waste stream products
  • Identify appropriate genetics for growers to adopt

Strategy

Vegetables New Zealand's working strategy runs from 2020 to 2025.

The core elements of this strategy are: Social license, food security, decarbonisation, nitrogen management, education and labour, and food safety.

It is the responsibility of VNZI to ensure the grower voice is heard by Government and the public on these elements.