NZAPI to attend World Food India for the first time

Hawke’s Bay, NZ – New Zealand Apples & Pears Incorporated (NZAPI) is delighted to announce its inaugural attendance at World Food India in Delhi this September.

Participation at the Indian Government's largest food trade event builds on NZAPI’s commitment to supporting the growth and prosperity of India’s apple industry and is the latest in a long history of collaboration between New Zealand and India’s horticulture industries.

Collaboration between the two nations dates back to the 1990s with the first World Bank Apple Industry Development Project. More recently, New Zealand consultants and scientists have partnered with Indian universities, extension specialists, and researchers to improve yields and returns for Indian growers, helping to drive grower prosperity.

NZAPI Chief Executive Karen Morrish says New Zealand growers are immensely proud of the decades-long relationship.

“Our relationship with India spans from importer to exporter, researcher to researcher, and grower to grower,” says Morrish. “We share many values, including pride in our growers, regional challenges, and a commitment to sustainable horticulture.

“New Zealand is a small but innovative apple producer, while India is a global powerhouse. The two countries complement each other, with New Zealand supplying low volumes of apples during India’s off-season, supplementing rather than competing with India’s impressive local production.”

Earlier this year, a delegation led by NZAPI visited the Himachal Predesh State Government’s Department of Horticulture, YS Parmar University’s Horticulture Department, Mashobra Research and Training Centre, growers across the region and processing and mandi facilities.

NZAPI looks forward to returning to India following the World Food India event to continue these valuable exchanges, says Morrish.

“New Zealand growers see real potential to support India’s transition from traditional low-density orchards to high-density, technology-enabled systems – a transformation New Zealand has successfully undergone over the past two decades.

“With proven expertise and experience, New Zealand is well-positioned to assist Indian growers in making this shift.”

There is also future opportunity to help Indian growers to thrive with the introduction of new apple and pear varieties and rootstocks, thanks to New Zealand’s two world-class breeding and commercialisation companies, Prevar and VentureFruit.

Prevar, a joint venture between NZAPI, The New Zealand Institute of Bioeconomy Science, and Apples and Pears Australia Limited, develops and commercialises new apple and pear varieties for global licensing, while VentureFruit is a New Zealand-based plant variety commercialisation and management business, with a wide portfolio of apple and pear varieties, including the Hot Climate Partnership cultivars. This latter partnership between Spain’s Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), The New Zealand Institute of Bioeconomy Science, Fruit Futur, and VentureFruit as the global commercialisation partner, specifically breeds and commercialises apple and pear varieties for a hot and warming climate.

“NZAPI and the wider New Zealand apple and pear sector is very excited to continue building strong horticultural ties with India, sharing knowledge, innovation, and a mutual commitment to grower success. We look forward to discussing this more at World Food India,” says Morrish.