1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,520 Speaker 1: It turns out it was a summer to remember for 2 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: many growers of the cherry industry. The latest to break 3 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: records five thousand tons were exported for the first time, 4 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: smashed the twenty seventeen eighteen season out of the park 5 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: by about eight hundred tons. Are the some a few 6 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:13,400 Speaker 1: New Zealand CEO Dean Smith's with this. Dean, very good 7 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: morning to you. 8 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 2: Good morning Mike. 9 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: Quality and quantity was the quality just as good as 10 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: the quantity. 11 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 2: Look the quality the export quality this year was strong 12 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 2: and it needs to be. You know, we're a quite 13 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,639 Speaker 2: high quality product, and so I guess to occupy that 14 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 2: premium place in the market, that's what we need to 15 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: be focused on. 16 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: And we're getting good prices. 17 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 2: Well, look, I guess you know, the top line numbers 18 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 2: look favorable for the year, but we need to we 19 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 2: need to remember I suppose those numbers that have been 20 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 2: floating around are based on the FOB value for customs purposes. 21 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 2: I guess we're a little bit too soon to know. 22 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 2: I guess just what the returns are going to look 23 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 2: like for growers, but we're I guess cautiously optimistic. 24 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: What's the bigger picture the markets we're in as their 25 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: room for growth is their room for new markets? 26 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 2: Well, I think both absolutely both. I mean, if you 27 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 2: look at the profile of the market that we're in, 28 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 2: Taiwan is actually the largest market for New Zealand cheries 29 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 2: by a long way. We're obviously the second biggest market 30 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 2: there being mainland China, which obviously is a much larger market. 31 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: So you know that would suggest that there is significant 32 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 2: potential there, but it's a very competitive marketplace like the 33 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 2: Chilean's especially have really increased their production as well. So 34 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 2: as I said earlier, we have to be focused. 35 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 1: On quoth is it like wine? And do excuse my ignorance, 36 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:25,759 Speaker 1: the profile of a New Zealand cherry? Do you compete 37 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: with Chile on profile? Or is a cherry a cherry? 38 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 2: Our look, cherry is not just a cherry. A cherry 39 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 2: is about a number of things. It's about the obviously 40 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 2: the taste and the profile of it, but it's also 41 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 2: about the efficiency of our supply chains and how quickly 42 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: we can get our product up there into market and 43 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 2: that's one of the hallmarks of the New Zealand cherry 44 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 2: as well. It's fresh and it's got lovely purity, and 45 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 2: it's just a great eating experience here. 46 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: And what about acreage here? Is that growing? Are people 47 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: planting or not? 48 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, there has been recent investment into the industry, 49 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 2: which I guess is why we expect that top one 50 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 2: number to be grown, because you know, we need that 51 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 2: return on that investment. So there has been investment there. 52 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 2: There's also been some investment as well into improvement of 53 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 2: existing growing systems as well, which is I guess another 54 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: factor in terms of what's driving yield. 55 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: Good stuff, Dean good insight, appreciate it, Dean Smith. Some 56 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: of fruit News Hill another record that's good at one 57 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty four million dollars. They've got a long 58 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 1: way to go to reach Kiwi fruit and grapes, of course, 59 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: grapes at a couple of billion and Kiwi fruit at 60 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,959 Speaker 1: four billion. But we'll take it. We'll take anything. Never 61 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: for long term forecast, I don't notice long term forecast 62 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: because they might as well throw a darted aboard. But 63 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: they're suggesting this summer of ours continues. There's no real 64 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: rain in the forecast. It depends. I mean, you know, 65 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 1: you tell good news story like Cherry's fantastic lot of 66 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:39,920 Speaker 1: farmers around the North Island. Parts of the North Island 67 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: at the moment really really struggling with the dry where 68 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 1: we are in the country, I notice, interestingly enough the 69 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: farm I look across the hill at all, across the 70 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: valley is still green. Green. Is not spring green, but 71 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:53,799 Speaker 1: certainly not brown the way it has been some years. 72 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: So it very much depends on where you go around 73 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: the country, I guess. For more from the Mi Casking Breakfast, 74 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: listen live to News to Books at b from six 75 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.