February 24, 2017
Indigenous brands add to premium offering
One of the speakers at this week’s Taniwha Dragon economic summit says indigenous branding can enhance the organic brands that are delivering a premium to New Zealand growers.
John Bostock runs a Hawke’s Bay-based business that includes organic apples, squash, onions, maize, chickens, juice and Rush Munro ice cream.
He delivered a warning against New Zealand growers adopting genetically modified organisms, because of strong consumer and retailer resistance.
He says Ngati Kahungunu did an amazing job putting together the summit in the lead up to Te Matatini.
There is a new breed of Maori entrepreneurs, which the summit introduced not just to the Chinese visitors but potential New Zealand partners.
"They’re open for business and I think forming partnerships is the way forward and developing economic joint ventures is so exciting. If we target what we are good at, and that is producing premium clean healthy branded food products, and it can be branded with indigenous brands, the market is really excited by it and they want it," Mr Bostock says.
His firm is talking to Maori trusts and iwi about joint ventures to produce clean premium GMO-free products.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH JOHN BOSTOCK
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