New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (nzkgi)

Name

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (nzkgi)

Legal name

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated

Website

https://nzkgi.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horticulture Industry Advocacy

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGABAA

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYBPADAEAE

Economic Growth, Livelihoods & Private Sector Development

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

SECONDARYBPADAEAC

Institutional Capacity Building & Training (Workforce/Systems Strengthening)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• Kiwifruit industry advocacy
• Grower policy representation
• Horticulture workforce development
• Agribusiness education programmes
• Seasonal employment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Maunganui

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Industry Advocacy and Member Services: NZKGI operates as a not-for-profit incorporated society representing kiwifruit growers. Revenue appears to come from membership/industry contributions and government partnerships for specific programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NZKGI is the incorporated advocacy body for New Zealand's commercial kiwifruit growers, providing policy representation to central and local government, labour market support including RSE scheme advocacy, workforce training and education programmes, industry performance monitoring, biosecurity coordination, and grower communications. It operates as a not-for-profit funded by industry levies and government programme funding, delivering services rather than commercial products.

Product overview

NZKGI is an advocacy body for New Zealand's kiwifruit growers rather than a product company. Its digital offerings centre on the NZKGI Website as a comprehensive information and resource portal, supplemented by the Grower Hub member portal, an Interactive Careers Map with over 70 industry professional profiles, and The Kiwifruit Book educational guide. NZKGI also produces policy submissions, workforce reports (such as the Future Workforce Needs Report and Seasonal Labour Report), and the Little Green & Gold Book for seasonal workers. Training products include the Winter Pruning Training course developed with Fruition Horticulture and Toi-Ohomai, the Agribusiness in Schools Programme for secondary students, Cultivate Your Career events for secondary school students, and the Future Leaders community. NZKGI also supports the Bay of Plenty Young Grower Competition, the Optimising Kiwifruit Land Use programme in partnership with Zespri, a weekly NZKGI Newsletter, the Kiwifruit Jobs NZ Facebook page with over 16,000 followers for job advertising, and a seasonal work portal. These offerings collectively serve growers, job seekers, students, and industry participants through advocacy, education, workforce, and career development functions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bay of Plenty Young Grower Competition: Annual competition celebrating excellence, leadership, and innovation in the Bay of Plenty horticulture sector, culminating in a regional winner who competes nationally.
• Future Leaders
• Cultivate Your Career
• Agribusiness in Schools
• NZKGI Careers Map

Products and services

• NZKGI Website The primary digital platform for NZKGI, providing advocacy resources, grower tools, news, policy submissions, employment resources, schools and training materials, and an interactive careers map for New Zealand kiwifruit growers and industry participants.
• Grower Hub Member Portal A member portal providing NZKGI members and kiwifruit growers with secure access to industry resources, tools, and updates.
• Interactive Careers Map An online interactive map profiling more than 70 industry professionals across commercial, post-harvest, science, engineering and IT, and orchard career categories, showcasing diverse roles and career pathways within the kiwifruit industry for students and job seekers.
• The Kiwifruit Book An up-to-date educational guide for new growers and secondary school students and teachers, covering all key aspects of the kiwifruit industry from orchard management and industry structure to global marketing and export insights. Updated every two years.
• NZKGI Policy Submissions Formal submissions made by NZKGI to central and local government on policy matters affecting kiwifruit growers, covering areas such as trade agreements, RSE scheme, agrichemicals, and environmental regulations.
• Future Workforce Needs Report A data-driven labour report commissioned by NZKGI and developed by Scarlatti, outlining current and future workforce needs across growers, packhouses, and supporting organisations in the kiwifruit sector.
• Winter Pruning Training Course A five-day training course developed by NZKGI alongside Fruition Horticulture and Toi-Ohomai Institute of Technology, targeting newcomers to the industry to learn winter pruning skills for kiwifruit vines.
• Agribusiness in Schools Programme An educational programme developed at St Paul's Collegiate in Hamilton, available to secondary school students across New Zealand at NCEA levels 2 and 3, providing comprehensive understanding and practical preparation for employment in the agribusiness sector.
• Future Leaders Community A community of over 250 active members from within or connected to the horticulture industry, led by passionate volunteers and creating opportunities to learn, share ideas, and build networks through educational workshops and industry events since 2014.
• NZKGI Weekly Newsletter A weekly newsletter keeping subscribers informed with the latest updates, news, and insights from the New Zealand kiwifruit industry, delivered directly to subscribers' inboxes.
• NZKGI Seasonal Work Portal A dedicated section of the NZKGI website providing information on seasonal work in New Zealand's kiwifruit industry, including current job opportunities, work eligibility requirements, types of roles, and employer resources.
• Optimising Kiwifruit Land Use - More from Less Programme A five-year, $47.87 million initiative delivered by NZKGI and Zespri, supported by $19.14 million in Government funding, focused on helping growers produce more value from existing land through innovation, science, and improved decision-making tools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Largest ever kiwifruit harvest of 225 million trays in 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ZespricoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Zespri is the primary commercial partner and marketer of New Zealand kiwifruit globally. NZKGI and Zespri jointly deliver the $47.87 million Optimising Kiwifruit Land Use programme. Zespri CEO Jason Te Brake collaborates with NZKGI on industry strategy and growth initiatives.
• Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKVH is the biosecurity organization for the kiwifruit industry. NZKGI and KVH co-host grower roadshows and collaborate on industry-wide initiatives including biosecurity preparedness and response.
• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBIE oversees immigration and visa settings crucial to the kiwifruit workforce. NZKGI works closely with MBIE on the RSE Scheme to ensure growers can access reliable seasonal labour. MBIE's policy expertise informs advocacy on workforce supply.
• Ministry of Social Development (MSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSD is the government agency supporting New Zealanders through employment and social services. NZKGI works with MSD on the New Zealanders First approach to seasonal labour, coordinating initiatives to connect local workers with kiwifruit industry jobs.
• Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHortNZ is the national advocacy body representing all New Zealand fruit and vegetable growers. NZKGI works with HortNZ across RSE advocacy, labour planning, and education initiatives. Shared focus ensures aligned industry positions on workforce, training, and policy.
• Priority OneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPriority One is the Western Bay of Plenty economic development organization. NZKGI collaborates with Priority One on regional workforce planning and the annual Cultivate Your Career event for secondary school students.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFAT is responsible for New Zealand's foreign policy and international partnerships. NZKGI collaborates with MFAT on Pacific liaison connected to the RSE Scheme, supporting delegations and strengthening relationships with RSE partner countries.
• Inland Revenue (IRD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRD handles tax administration in New Zealand. NZKGI works with IRD to ensure growers and seasonal workers have clear guidance on tax obligations, promoting transparent and fair employment practices.
• Agribusiness in SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgribusiness in Schools is a nationwide educational programme at St Paul's Collegiate and available to students nationally. NZKGI partners with this programme which reaches 97 schools and 3,057 students, covering agribusiness curriculum from NCEA levels 2 and 3.
• St Paul's Collegiate SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt Paul's Collegiate in Hamilton developed the Agribusiness in Schools programme. The programme enables secondary school students to broaden knowledge and skills in agribusiness sector with practical and hands-on learning.
• Fruition HorticulturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFruition Horticulture is a private training provider. NZKGI collaborated with Fruition Horticulture and Toi-Ohomai to develop Winter Pruning Training courses for newcomers to the kiwifruit industry.
• Toi-Ohomai Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerToi-Ohomai is a polytechnic providing vocational training in horticulture. Partnered with NZKGI and Fruition Horticulture to develop Winter Pruning Training courses and Level 4 horticulture production qualifications.
• Primary Industry Training Organisation (ITO)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary ITO provides apprenticeships and training for the primary industry sector including horticulture. Connects workers with formal qualifications and skills development pathways.
• Sow the SeedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped Mātiki Minecraft, an interactive Minecraft Education world introducing students to primary industries including kiwifruit, in partnership with NZKGI and other industry bodies.
• HATA (Horticulture Agriculture Teachers Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHATA supports agricultural and horticultural teachers across New Zealand. Partnered with NZKGI to promote Agribusiness in Schools resources and professional development for teachers.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Citrus New Zealand: Industry body representing New Zealand citrus growers. Shares NZKGI's horticultural grower-advocacy and biosecurity coordination model at a smaller commodity scale.
• Summerfruit NZ: Industry body for New Zealand summerfruit growers (cherries, apricots, peaches). Comparable grower-advocacy and export-market development mandate at smaller scale, with similar dependence on seasonal labour.
• Apples and Pears NZ: Industry body representing New Zealand apple and pear growers. Smaller commodity focus than NZKGI but overlapping grower-advocacy and labour-market functions, including RSE scheme engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Zespri Group Limited: Sole exporter and global marketer of New Zealand kiwifruit. While Zespri operates the commercial single-desk export function and NZKGI operates grower advocacy, both organizations are central to the kiwifruit industry and co-deliver the $47.87M Optimising Land Use programme, giving them overlapping scope over grower outcomes.

Direct peers

• Federated Farmers of New Zealand: National advocacy body for New Zealand farmers across dairy, sheep and beef, and arable. Shares NZKGI's member-representation model, policy-submission approach, and engagement with government on labour, environmental, and trade policy, though at a broader commodity scope.
• Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ): National advocacy body representing all New Zealand fruit and vegetable growers. NZKGI explicitly partners with HortNZ on RSE advocacy, labour planning, and education, and the two share similar member-representation and policy-submission models, making HortNZ the closest direct peer in mandate and structure.
• New Zealand Winegrowers: National industry body for the New Zealand wine sector, representing growers and producers on advocacy, research, and sustainability. Comparable to NZKGI in operating model for a horticultural export industry with single-region focus.
• Beef + Lamb New Zealand: Industry body representing New Zealand sheep and beef farmers, funded via levies and serving as the unified advocacy voice. Closely comparable to NZKGI in mandate, governance, and policy-submission function, applied to a different commodity.
• Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH): Biosecurity organization for the New Zealand kiwifruit industry. KVH and NZKGI co-host grower roadshows and collaborate on biosecurity preparedness and response, serving an overlapping grower constituency with a complementary mandate.

Regional players

• Foundation for Arable Research (FAR): New Zealand arable crop research and grower-support organization. Comparable applied-research and grower-engagement model, though focused on arable rather than horticultural tree-crop growers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KiwifruitJobsNZ
• Instagraminstagram.com/kiwifruitjobsnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-zealand-kiwifruit-growers-incorporated-nzkgi

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (nzkgi)