A new export initiative between New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates places Māori kiwifruit growers on the “world stage”, says a growers group.
Māori Kiwifruit Growers Ltd has partnered with fruit exporters, Mr Apple and Zespri, to launch kiwifruit grown exclusively by Māori orchards in the UAE market.
The Māori Queen, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po VIII, led a Kiingitanga delegation on Friday in Dubai.
She was joined by Hemi Rolleston, a Tauranga City Council Māori ward councillor and Ngāi Tukairangi Trust representative.
Rolleston said the initiative reflected “Tauranga’s leadership in exporting and promises a positive impact for our communities at every level”.
The Bay of Plenty produces 80% of New Zealand’s kiwifruit.
The Māori growers group has about 50 members, representing more than 70 orchards.
They supply 8% of the fruit in the New Zealand kiwifruit industry.
The group said in a statement the fee it would earn from collaborative marketing deals like this would be reinvested into “training and capability-building for Māori growers in the horticulture heartland of rural New Zealand.”
Group chairman Geoff Rolleston said growers were not just marketing fruit, but “building futures”.
“This partnership places Māori kiwifruit growers on the world stage.
“It’s about collaborating to create long-term relationships and intergenerational prosperity.”
He said the group wanted to reinvest in training to grow its people, “not just our crops”.
”We talk about ‘mokopuna decisions’ - making choices today that will benefit our grandchildren tomorrow. The outcomes of this partnership will ensure a legacy of prosperity and opportunity for future generations.”
The launch follows the inclusion of a Māori and Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Co-operation Chapter into the New Zealand-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force on August 28.
The agreement includes an exception clause to protect obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Geoff Rolleston, uncle of Hemi, said the UAE offered “access to a fast-growing market that values premium products and trusted partnerships”.
“For us, it’s not just about trade - it’s about forging long-term relationships built on trust, which we believe is the new currency for trade.”
The partnership strengthened the Māori economy by creating new markets, opportunities, and enduring relationships, he said.
In September, fund management firm Greener Pastures launched a new kiwifruit investment fund with approval from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. At least $4.8 million will be invested in the kiwifruit sector.
Geoff Rolleston said the fund would “unlock growth for Māori kiwifruit enterprises and provide the capital needed for expansion, innovation, and building scale.”
“Beyond the UAE, we see opportunities in other [Gulf] markets, Asia, and North America.
“Our goals are ambitious but clear: to increase Māori participation and market share in premium kiwifruit exports, and to double our export presence in markets like the UAE within the next decade.
“And we take such pride in being able to stand alongside Te Kuini Māori as she steps on to the global stage.”
Kiingitanga spokesperson Rukumoana Schaafhausen said Te Arikinui was “proud to support Māori enterprise and indigenous trade”.
“Trade and enterprise are in our DNA and a part of our culture,” Schaafhausen said. “So we are delighted to tautoko [support] the launch of Māori Kiwifruit Growers’ marketing pilot in the UAE.”
This article was originally published by New Zealand Herald.
