The Post April 2026

From the orchard rows of Hawke’s Bay to the windswept edge of Farewell Spit, this season we follow the people and ideas shaping New Zealand’s apple industry and the wider rural landscape that supports it. Join us as we step inside a leading apple export business, visit a family orchard with deep roots in the land, and see the practical innovations helping farmers and growers build stronger operations.

First up, we meet Paul Paynter of The Yummy Fruit Co, one of the country’s most recognisable apple brands. From Hawke’s Bay orchards to supermarket shelves around the world, Paul shares how the business has grown into a global exporter while keeping its focus on quality fruit and strong relationships with growers.

Next, we head to Kaiaponi Farms, where Barton Witters gives us a look at the scale and evolution of the family’s apple operation. With generations of experience behind them and a modern approach to orchard management, Barton refl ects on how the industry has changed and where the opportunities lie ahead.

John Noakes of Noksee Fencing, and FCANZ, put several stay designs to the test in this month’s fencing tip. By comparing the strength and performance of six different stays, they demonstrate what works best when it comes to building a fence that will stand the test of time.

At the far northern tip of the South Island, we visit Onetahua Farewell Spit, where Lucy Butler of the HealthPost Nature Trust and fencing project manager Grant Williams are helping protect one of New Zealand’s most signifi cant ecological sites. Their team, alongside Golden Bay Fencing, is constructing over three kilometres of predator-proof fencing as part of an ambitious eff ort to restore native wildlife in this remarkable landscape.

We also travel to the Tasman region to meet Paul and Sharleen Froriep, whose Strongbuilt shed provides the backbone for their busy rural operation.

This month’s State of the Industry provides a current snapshot of New Zealand’s apple sector, with insights from key leaders and contributors helping shape where it’s headed.