TAURANGA, Wednesday 29th August 2018: The Right Honourable, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern opened the New Zealand Avocado International Industry Conference in Tauranga today.

The Prime Minister congratulated avocado growers of the recent success of the New Zealand avocado industry which has been driven by a carefully grown, premium quality product which meets the needs of health-conscious consumers globally.

“In a very short time we’ve seen the appetite for avocados – a fruit that was not that long ago considered exotic – grow exponentially. That is the testament to the passion and dedication of all of you.”

The Prime Minister talked about her grandparents having an avocado orchard when she was a child, and her appreciation of the hard work involved in bringing them to our tables.

NZ Avocado CEO Jen Scoular says “The New Zealand Avocado International Industry Conference is a celebration of our industry, focussing on our future success in the global avocado world.”

The avocado conference is hosting international visitors, including speakers Loren Zhao, co-founder of China’s largest online fresh produce retailer Fruit Day; Mr. Jorge Restrepo, Executive Director of Corpohass Columbia and Professor Neena Mitter from the University of Queensland.

Dr. Nicholas Gill, Strength and Conditioning coach for the New Zealand All Blacks and an avocado grower himself will also speak at the event. Gill will share the secrets of New Zealand rugby’s ongoing success on a global stage and talk about the role of avocados in high-performance sports nutrition and in eating well in New Zealander’s everyday lives.

Scoular says “We are delighted at the level of support the New Zealand avocado industry has received for this event, from the Prime Minister and our international guests, participants, speakers, and sponsors.”

There is huge demand for our avocados in international markets and a lot of interest from other avocado supply countries in the industrial systems that enable New Zealand to produce premium quality, safe and sustainable avocados for the world.

Horticulture experts will share ideas and new research with growers at the conference to enable us to continue to increase the supply of New Zealand avocados to meet surging global demand.”

The New Zealand Avocado International Industry Conference runs from 29-31 August in Tauranga, New Zealand.

About New Zealand Avocado

The New Zealand avocado industry is vibrant and growing with a vision and strategy in place to quadruple sales to $280m and triple productivity by 2023. The industry is pursuing exciting opportunities in both export and the New Zealand markets, supported by innovation and collaboration with stakeholders and with new partnerships with the Crown and Crown Research Institutes.

New Zealand currently produces less than 2% of the global supply but is the ninth largest international avocado exporter. There are over 4,000 hectares of avocado trees planted in New Zealand, primarily in the Bay of Plenty and Northland.

For more information visit www.nzavocado.co.nz or follow us on social @NZ_Avocado @Jen_Scoular

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Photo captions

Avocado conference 18-13 Press photo:

Right Honourable, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern opening the NZ Avocado International Industry conference 2018 in Tauranga, New Zealand.