Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association president Brydon Nisbet said he didn’t know how many people would be affected but there were concerns about job losses.
He said it came off the back of the difficult Covid pandemic and post-Cyclone Gabrielle, which many growers were still recovering from.
“It’s never nice when companies go into liquidation or receivership, and it just means there’s often job losses and families that are affected.
“It’s hard nowadays with the increasing cost of labour and compliance, and also the uncertainty of export returns, [which] all make it an industry that’s not easy to navigate, so it’s just really unfortunate that this has happened.”
Nisbet said the industry was still doing well, though, with positive signs after a successful apple harvest this year.
“There’s new players coming on board, a lot of great new varieties that are getting planted, companies are expanding, new coolstores are getting bought, new packsheds are getting developed … there’s a lot of orchards getting bought and taken up for new leases with new companies getting involved.
“At the same time, there’s companies saying it’s time to move on.
“The fruit-growing industry is still in a good place.”
Ecovis director Gareth Russel Hoole was appointed voluntary administrator of Kiwi Crunch Hawke’s Bay.
Leon Bowker or Kristal Pihama of KPMG have been appointed the liquidators for Crasborn Fresh Harvest Ltd but said they were in the early stage of the process and could not yet comment publicly.
Their first report is expected in about a month’s time.