Horticulture, Kiwifruit
Known prior to 1959 as 'Chinese Gooseberry,' the fruit was coined 'Kiwifruit' by Turners & Growers Ltd - first recorded in correspondence on June 15, 1959. The name 'Kiwifruit' was deemed more attractive to the US market.
Mr E. J. McLoughlin, of Te Puke, supplied fruit for the first trial export shipment in 1952.
Kiwifruit pioneer Roly W. Earp of Te Puna, former Kiwifruit Marketing Authority Chairman, and his business partner Grahame Bayliss, planted the country's first commercial Hayward kiwifruit orchard on 20 hectares in 1959. They exported their first kiwifruit in 1964.
Industry innovations
Mr E. A Vercoe of No 1 Road, Te Puke, in conjunction with Te Puke's Rex Wood Truck and Tractor Ltd, developed a specialty tractor for kiwifruit orchard work in 1977.
Mr W Van Leeuwen of Te Puna developed a 3.6 high plastic netting as an orchard windbreak replacement for poplar trees.
The New Zealand Kiwifruit Authority trialled individually labelling kiwifruit in 1982, at a packhouse owned by Hugh Moore, of Kauri Point. This was to help overseas consumers identify the NZ origin of the fruit.
Computer programs for kiwifruit packhouses began to be used in 1982, the first at the Te Matai Road orchard in Omokoroa.
A mechanical harvester was developed at Lincoln's New Zealand Agricultural Engineering Institute in 1982.
Systems planting kiwifruit for more early-year yield were trialled and displayed by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at a Te Puke orchard in 1982. Researchers trialled growing kiwifruit at different row widths, alternating male and female plant rows, new pruning techniques, double-planting, and training the vines onto a tatura trellis.
The New Zealand Fruit growers Federation were critical of companies who export a variety kiwifruit plants to Japan, which they said could undermine the industry
Sayce Rust Cool Story of Cold Storage (Bay of Plenty) Ltd was officially opened by then Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon in April, 1980
Stakeholders in the Kiwifruit industry are:
Kiwifruit Marketing Authority
Tauranga Fruitgrowers Association
New Zealand Fruitgrowers Association
Kiwifruit Authority (Est. 1978)
The Bay of Plenty Agricultural Advisory Committee
Kiwifruit Marketing Board
New Zealand Fruitgrowers Federation
Bankers - Tauranga's Rural Bank
New Zealand Deer Farmers' Association
Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers
Apple and Pear Marketing Board
Greater Bay of Plenty Packers Association (Est.1989)
