The strategy has two key objectives. The first is to drive export growth particularly to the discerning Asian markets and secondly to increase grower profitability. The strategy is based on four key themes:

• Export Market Development;
• Productivity;
• Quality;
• Innovation.

As the next stage of its development, ONZ has restructured the organisation to appoint a dedicated CEO and a new independent chairman.

Michael Ahern has stepped into the role of CEO from his current Chairman position. He has had long experience in the Horticulture sector through the management of various exporting businesses, roles in a variety of industry bodies and currently runs his own management consultancy, Primary Services Limited.

Owen Symmans, a long time primary industry executive, has been appointed as the new independent chairman. He has held various management and governance roles in the primary industry in both the private and government sectors.

Commenting on the appointments, Deputy Chairman, Kevin Wilcox, said that Onions NZ now has two people with wide experience to lead the next stage of industry development.

Onions are New Zealand’s fourth largest fresh horticulture export crop, with an average FOB value of $100 million.

For more information, visit: www.onionsnz.com.