New Zealand's kiwifruit industry is looking to strengthen its partnership with India as growers and industry leaders highlight opportunities for greater exports, technology sharing and agricultural collaboration under the New Zealand–India Free Trade Agreement.
According to a report by Financial Express, worth around NZ$5 billion annually, the industry has grown through generations of family farming, innovation and resilience. Among those contributing to its success is Billy Singh, who runs Sandhu Farms in Katikati, one of New Zealand's leading kiwifruit-growing regions.
Reflecting on his family's journey, Singh said his father arrived in New Zealand in search of better opportunities and built the business through determination and hard work. “Dad came here with nothing. And we worked really hard to get here where we are now,” he said, adding that the same work ethic continues to define the family's approach. “We work seven days. We have the same working willpower to be working every day. And we want to be the best in whatever we do,” as quoted by Financial Express.
Sandhu Farms now produces around 20,000 trays of premium SunGold kiwifruit per hectare, generating more than NZ$200,000 in revenue per hectare and an annual turnover of approximately NZ$2.4 million across its 12-hectare orchard.
Billy's wife, Navjot Singh, said maintaining export-quality fruit requires strict standards and continuous monitoring. “There are a lot of rules and regulations to grow that premium kiwifruit. There’s a lot of hard work. There’s a lot of book work as well. There’s a lot of fruit testing before Zespri (the kiwifruit cooperative) approves exports,” she said, Financial Express has quoted.
According to Financial Express, as someone with both Indian and New Zealand roots, Billy believes the growing relationship between the two countries presents significant opportunities for the horticulture sector. “Since I’m half Indian and half Kiwi, I think that’s probably one of the best things that’s happened, building these two countries’ relationships,” he said.
He also believes New Zealand's expertise can help Indian growers improve production and fruit quality. “Indian growers had the numbers, but it was all unpollinated fruit, and they didn’t know what to do with how to canopy manage,” he said. “Those techniques can now be taken back to India and shown how you can grow premium kiwifruit just like we do here in New Zealand,” as quoted by Financial Express.
The industry's resilience was tested a decade ago when the PSA virus severely affected orchards across New Zealand. Rather than abandoning the sector, growers embraced scientific research, innovation and new plant varieties to rebuild production.
Among them was Stephen Kenna, who has worked to prepare the next generation to carry the family business forward. “Daniel as well as my other sons, are all interested in being involved in horticulture in our kiwifruit growing business here,” he said. “It’s a matter of teaching them, showing them, letting them explore, letting them make a mistake, reassessing, revaluing and bringing them through,” Financial Express has quoted.
His son, Daniel Kenna, eventually left a career in construction to return to the family orchard after realising farming offered the future he wanted. “I was working in construction actually, and I had a bit of a moment where I was in some concrete, there was noise, heavy machinery, and I came home for a weekend, and it was here, beautiful, peaceful, the birds were chirping, and the sun was on my face. I thought this is the kind of place that I want to work in,” he said, as quoted by Financial Express.
Today, Daniel represents a new generation of growers combining traditional farming knowledge with digital tools, sustainability and data-driven practices.
According to Financial Express, India has emerged as one of New Zealand's fastest-growing export markets for kiwifruit. Under the New Zealand–India Free Trade Agreement, up to 15,000 tonnes of kiwifruit can enter India tariff-free, doubling the current export volume.
Lorraine Mapu, ANZ Managing Director of Business and Agriculture, said the agreement provides significant opportunities for growers. “At the moment, we export about 7,500 tonnes of kiwifruit to India. And this enables kiwifruit growers to supply around double that amount, 15,000 tonnes, without tariff,” she said, as quoted by Financial Express.
Mapu added that ANZ continues to support growers investing in sustainable farming practices. “We have a green loan facility. We have farming uplift facilities that we provide growers to help them as they work through facing those sustainability challenges,” she said.
With stronger trade ties, shared agricultural expertise and continued investment in innovation, industry leaders believe New Zealand and India are well placed to expand cooperation in the kiwifruit sector and create new opportunities for growers in both countries, Financial Express has reported.