The Horticulture Conference 2021: Resilience and Recovery

The horticulture industry has just endured one of its toughest seasons and it looks like these trying conditions will continue for some time yet.

Challenges abound: not enough labour due to Covid and the borders being closed; the impact of a cold spring, then hail and flooding during the start of harvest; the poor availability and higher cost of freight to export markets; and ongoing lockdowns, creating uncertainty in New Zealand’s biggest domestic market, Auckland.

Then there are growing demands around compliance: new central government requirements around freshwater, climate change and health and safety; and ongoing regional and local government plan changes.

This taxing and uncertain environment requires growers from across the industry to be resilient. To try and focus on what the recovery will look like, and be ready for when it comes.

The Horticulture Conference 2021: Resilience and Recovery will focus on the future, in a Covid world that has changed and will continue to change.  Our diverse range of speakers will stimulate discussion, and offer insights and perspectives from New Zealand and overseas, industry and government.

We have reduced the length of the conference in keeping with current sentiments.  What we offer you is quality over quantity, value for money and your investment of time.  We will also be ready to move to an entirely online conference, should domestic conditions change.

Sign up today.  I am very pleased by how our 2021 conference has come together, and am confident that all growers and other industry participants will benefit from the presentations and time together.

Through partnership with government, our industry’s resilience will see horticulture recover stronger than ever.

Mike Chapman, previous Chief Executive, Horticulture New Zealand