Category: Business

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wattie’s growers and staff are reeling following the company’s announcement of the proposed closure of three factories in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.

The move would see 350 workers made redundant, 220 suppliers affected, and the end of Wattie’s frozen vegetables, Gregg’s coffee and other household names.

Methven farmer Hamish Marr supplied Wattie’s with peas for around 20 years, and said the news was devastating for staff and growers alike.

It came as the arable industry was in real trouble, struggling with low prices for crops but record-high costs for inputs like fuel and fertiliser, he said.

“It’s another nail in the coffin for poor old NZ Inc, and the supermarket shopper ultimately will be buying something that’s not produced here.”

If he could not find an alternative buyer, Marr would consider abandoning peas for livestock, given the lack of options for arable crops.

Comments by Wattie’s that energy prices and red tape were behind the move were frustrating.

“It’s a little bit galling – we live in a country with some of the most sustainable electricity in the world, and yet we’re paying record high prices for electricity, so something needs to be looked at there I would think.”

He agreed compliance was an issue, and said it was only getting worse.

Associate energy minister Shane Jones pointed the finger at electricity gentailers – the major companies that both generate and wholesale electricity.

“Look no further than the non-competitive structure, the non-competitive level of cost imposed on our manufacturing sector by the electricity sector. That’s why the electricity sector either has to be regulated or cut in half.”

Jones said job losses would be inevitable until the gentailers were broken up.

Heinz Wattie’s declined an interview, but in a statement managing director Andrew Donegan said the company was deeply aware of the impact the changes would have on people and their families, growers, suppliers and the community.

The decision was not taken lightly, but was a step that company had to take to position it for the future, Donegan said.

‘They’re heartbroken, gutted’

Forklift driver and E tū union delegate Kathy Perrin’s job was facing redundancy after more than 45 years at Wattie’s Hornby factory in Christchurch.

Everyone from young families juggling new babies and mortgages to workers who had been with the company for decades were facing redundancy, Perrin said.

Her colleagues were fearful of the tough job market and of what happened after the factory doors closed, she said.

Some had been there for several decades, and thought they would see out their working lives at Wattie’s.

The prospect of job hunting was daunting.

“My last interview for a job was in 1979.”

She wanted to see the government and union work alongside the company to support those who were made redundant with counselling, assistance with financial planning or help meeting rent or mortgage payments.

The union and local Wattie’s management were being supportive.

“This didn’t come from within New Zealand, it comes from outside – we’re globally owned.”

She said everyone was rallying around each other, but there was only so much the workers could do.

“They’re heartbroken, gutted.”

The closures came on the back of a wave of redundancies in the past year, including at Sealord, Griffins, Carter Holt Harvey and Smiths City amid economic downturn.

Company liquidations hit a 15-year-high last year.

‘I can’t make business stay in a district’

A “substantial” number of the suppliers were based in Canterbury’s Selwyn district, said mayor Lydia Gliddon.

She said the news had came as a surprise, and she been left with more questions than answers.

There was little the council could do to sway Wattie’s, but Gliddon said she would work to get more details.

“I can’t make business stay in a district, but I think it’s about advocacy, and connecting in and seeing actually what’s going on, trying to get some clarity about those contracts and what happens to them.”

Selwyn MP and associate minister of agriculture Nicola Grigg said the government has been focused on reducing unnecessary red tape and regulation for growers and farmers.

The decision would come as a blow for growers and distributors who were already grappling with rising fuel prices due to the war in the Middle East, and who had experienced losses in recent storms.

Wattie’s was founded in 1934 in Hawke’s Bay, starting with jams and expanding to fruits and vegetables.

H.J. Heinz Company, as it was known at the time, purchased the company in 1992.

In September 2025, Wattie’s reduced its peach production, cutting the contracts of around 20 Hawke’s Bay suppliers in the face of what it claimed was dumping from cheaper markets.

The Minister of Commerce confirmed that last month, after an investigation found Chinese company J&G International Co. Ltd had been dumping peaches, causing “material injury to the New Zealand industry.”

The company also announced in 2025 that it would also source fewer tomatoes, beetroot and corn from local growers due to a drop in demand.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Commerce Commission is warning consumers about a suspected pyramid scheme operating in Hawke’s Bay under the name “Live Good”.

The commission said the scheme promotes health supplements, but members’ payments appear to rely on continuously recruiting new people rather than selling genuine products or services.

Commission deputy chair Anne Callinan said the scheme – marketed as an “affiliate compensation plan” – carries the hallmarks of a pyramid scheme.

Marketing for the scheme is spread through Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, with new recruits funnelled into groups with names such as The Official Diamond Rush and Freedom Lifestyle Revolution and other New Zealand-based Facebook groups linked to this scheme.

“While the investigation is in its early stages, we believe we have a duty to publicise this potentially illegal scheme so Kiwis are aware of the risk of becoming involved,” Callinan said.

“It is important that any potential harm is limited.”

The commission is urging anyone who encounters the scheme to exercise caution and seek advice before investing into it.

“It is crucial people do their due diligence before becoming involved in schemes of this nature – if something seems too good to be true, there’s a good chance it is,” Callinan said.

Separate concerns over Wellington-based operation

Separately, the commission has received complaints about a Wellington-based cryptocurrency scheme.

The scheme originates overseas and was initially known as TXEX, but has several other names, including UICEX, CR GLOBAL, Signal Trader, BG Wealth Sharing Group and DSJ EX.

The commission’s interim view was that it was not a pyramid scheme, but it repeated a warning from the Financial Markets Authority in relation to it.

The scheme encourages people to invest in cryptocurrency investment trading platforms, and promises significant returns on investments.

“These schemes entice people by promising high returns quickly and an opportunity to create ongoing wealth, which is typical of these scams,” Callinan said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Abundant rainfall at the country’s hydro lakes has led to record levels of renewable energy generation.

The quarterly energy report from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), showed a record-high 96.4 percent of electricity generation coming from renewable sources from October to December 2025.

“Hydro inflows were strong, which supported an 8 percent increase in hydro generation compared with the same quarter in 2024,” MBIE domains manager Amapola Generosa said.

“We also saw continued growth from new grid‑scale solar farms connecting, which lifted solar generation by more than 70 percent year‑on‑year.”

Natural gas generation fell to its lowest quarterly level since 1980, with output down 52 percent from a year earlier.

“Contributing to this was planned maintenance at gas generation plants during the quarter,” Generosa said.

MBIE said emissions from electricity generation fell to their lowest quarterly level since records began in 1990. Electricity demand also increased in the period.

“National consumption rose 6.5 percent to 10,045 GWh, with agricultural demand rising 14.2 percent due to irrigation loads,” Generosa said.

“Industrial consumption increased 12.2 percent, in part due to comparatively low usage in the December 2024 quarter.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Wattie’s factory employee facing redundancy fears for her and her colleagues’ futures, saying it has been decades since some of them have had to interview for a job.

And the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) believes there will be a ripple effect right across the country if Heinz Wattie’s goes ahead with its major shake-up.

The company wants to shut its plants in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin and stop the production of a number of products, including frozen vegetables.

Kathy Perrin, a forklift driver and E tū union delegate in Christchurch, told Midday Report they were expecting a few redundancies, but not the closure of the entire plant.

“We could see we were a bit heavy on the staff, how many members we had, staff members we had, not just junior members. We could see we were a bit top-heavy and we thought there’d be redundancy, not a plant closure. This is just – it’s traumatising.”

She said many staff had young families and mortgages, while others expected to work for Wattie’s until they reached retirement.

“Even members that are 45, I was talking to one last night and he was saying that, you know, ‘I’d settled in and I was feeling that this was [my job] until I was retirement age.'”

Another said their last job interview was in 1979.

“Everybody needs to come together – the government, the union and the company all need to get together and go, ‘Okay, what assistance are you going to need after the doors are closed?’ … if it’s help with rents, accommodation, mortgages for young families, those things, all those needs… we leave nobody behind, because we can’t be left behind.”

She blamed the proposed closures on the company’s offshore owners, and said they were now facing a future of minimum-wage work.

“The union have been great, they are helping us, they are being fantastic. And local management are being fantastic. This doesn’t come from Christchurch, this doesn’t come from within New Zealand. This is done outside of it.”

‘People will probably miss it’

EMA head of advocacy Alan McDonald was surprised by the news.

“The growers, they’ve got pretty extensive distribution networks, so they will be impacted in some way or form and that’ll ripple out through those communities as well.

“And it’s been a long-standing brand in New Zealand, so people will probably miss it.”

McDonald said the news would be soul-destroying for some whānau.

“In some of those manufacturing businesses and things like the meatworks and stuff and dairy factories, you get multi-generational people working in those areas and those businesses, so it’s pretty tough on a lot of families.”

McDonald said he hoped that some of the 350 staff at risk could be redeployed into the company to lessen the impact, especially on regional communities.

Heinz Wattie’s said further redeployment opportunities would be investigated throughout the course of the year in line with the phased site closures.

It said it would continue to invest in operations, marketing and research and development, to strengthen its resilience and secure long-term growth.

Redundancy packages, career transition and outplacement services, counselling and wellbeing support would be offered to employees.

Concerns over NZ’s food security

A group representing commercial vegetable growers said food security could become a problem if Heinz Wattie’s goes ahead with a proposal to shut down three factories.

Process Vegetables chair David Hadfield told Morning Report the ripple effect of the closure would hit about 220 Canterbury farmers who produced around 36,000 tonnes of peas every year for the company.

“New Zealand has one of the highest yielding areas for peas and it’s an excellent product. But the problem is, New Zealanders aren’t eating enough vegetables.”

Hadfield said while shocked by the proposal, he was not surprised. He said local production costs were high and it was cheaper to import products.

He warned, however, that if food was not grown locally the country was more vulnerable to things like disrupted shipping routes, such as is happening at the moment because of the conflict in the Middle East.

Hadfield said red tape was also partly to blame for the potential closures, and felt regulations in recent years had become burdensome.

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon wanted clarity on how Canterbury growers would be affected by the proposal. She said the news came as a surprise and she had more questions than answers.

She said it was unclear whether local growers would lose their contracts entirely.

Gliddon said it did not make financial sense to ship produce to the remaining factory in Hastings for processing.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Air New Zealand is set to cancel around 1100 flights affecting thousands of passengers through until early May.

Air NZ chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar told Morning Report between now and the end of April, early May the airline will cancel around 1100 flights.

That would amount to about a 5 percent reduction in the number of flights it was planning to operate.

• Are you planning to travel and concerned about cancellations? Email us iwitness@rnz.co.nz

In that period the airline will carry around 1.9 million passengers, so 44,000 passengers will be affected by flight cancellations, he said. Most of the passengers will be moved to flights on the same day.

Ravishankar said he has spoken to “all regional mayors” about their concerns regarding regional services and has their support.

He said the airline was looking at reducing a small number of international services, but said US services are an important link to Europe, particularly while there were disruptions in the Middle East.

Air New Zealand is facing more massive cost pressures, with the conflict in the Middle East increasing the price of jet fuel.

This week the airline suspended its earnings guidance and increased ticket prices to account for the rise in fuel costs. Domestic fares will increase by $10, short-haul international by $20 and long-haul by $90.

On Wednesday, Qantas and Jetstar also confirmed they were increasing airfares due to a doubling in the cost of aviation fuel.

Last month, Air NZ announced a half-year loss of $40 million in the six months ended December, compared to last year’s profit of $106m.

The critical Hormuz Strait, a shipping route for up to 20 percent of the world’s oil, is essentially closed due to the conflict in the region.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand will have to release about six days worth of fuel as part of a decision by the International Energy Agency.

The IEA has agreed unanimously to release 400 million barrels of oil from its reserves.

Senior ministers met last night to pore over the country’s fuel stores and supply chains.

Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says New Zealand is obliged to contribute to the IEA’s release.

He says that can be can done by terminating tickets this country holds for its own stocks.

Jones says it’s yet to be determined how New Zealand will release its stocks, and ensure the impact here is minimised.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Aucklanders can get a taste of the country in their own back yard this weekend as Cornwall Park opens up its working farm.

Established in 1844 the farm currently has 300 perindale ewes and 60 head of cattle.

Farm manager Peter Maxwell said while the public could walk through the farm whenever they like – it was opening its gates for ‘Farm Week’.

The week long celebration starting on Saturday would include ‘moo-sic in the park’ where the public could chill and listen to music with the cows, a farm walk and kids would be able to check out the farm machinery.

Maxwell said a favourite part of his job was interacting with the public.

“Lots of people ask questions, the other day someone asked where the animals are trucked to every night, I don’t think people realise they are born here and live here, this is a working farm.”

He said running a farm in the middle of the country’s biggest city obviously meant it had some different logistics to other farms.

“It’s a park so people walk their dogs through here, if they are off the leash it can cause some issues, then there’s a lot more noise and fireworks but the animals get used to that pretty quickly.

“The farm is integral to the park and what makes it unique. We’re confident that having a working farm in the middle of a city is rare around the world. We haven’t found many examples in our research so far – certainly not one as long standing as Cornwall Park Farm.”

Maxwell is hopeful ‘Farm Week’ would encourage an interest in farming for city kids.

“We know by the numbers coming to our farm walks that there’s a strong interest in the farm and how it works. Given we’re a primary producing country – and rural life is the backbone of New Zealand – it it’s no surprise people are interested in the farm.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Employers and Manufacturers Association believes there will be a ripple effect right across the country if Heinz Watties goes ahead with its major shake-up.

The company wants to shut its plants in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin and stop the production of a number of products, including frozen vegetables.

The association’s head of advocacy Alan McDonald was surprised by the news.

“The growers, they’ve got pretty extensive distribution networks, so they will be impacted in some way or form and that’ll ripple out through those communities as well.

“And it’s been a long-standing brand in New Zealand, so people will probably miss it.”

McDonald said the news would be soul-destroying for some whānau.

“In some of those manufacturing businesses and things like the meatworks and stuff and dairy factories, you get multi-generational people working in those areas and those businesses, so it’s pretty tough on a lot of families.”

McDonald said he hoped that some of the 350 staff at risk could be redeployed into the company to lessen the impact, especially on regional communities.

Heinz Watties said further redeployment opportunities would be investigated throughout the course of the year in line with the phased site closures.

It said it would continue to invest in operations, marketing and research and development, to strengthen its resilience and secure long-term growth.

Redundancy packages, career transition and outplacement services, counselling and wellbeing support would be offered to employees.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Sometimes it seems as though everything is just continually getting more expensive – especially when war in the Middle East sparks major inflation warnings.

But some things have become cheaper over the past 10 years, according to Stats NZ.

In comparison, general inflation as measured by the consumer price index, was up about 35 percent over the period.

Here are seven.

Audio-visual equipment – down 77 percent, telecommunication equipment – down 67 percent, computing equipment – down 51 percent

Economist Shamubeel Eaqub said it was not surprising that technology-related items topped the list.

“The way it’s recorded in the consumer price index (CPI) is it’s quality adjusted … there are two things going on. One is the actual price of the product, and the other is the improvement of quality of the product. Both of those things are happening at a great pace, particularly in things like technology.

“Computer equipment, telecommunications, audiovisual, those things are getting better over time and they have been relatively constant or falling in price so it’s the twin force that comes through.”

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen agreed.

“It’s not that the actual price of a computer has halved it’s more that what you get from the computer is a whole lot better. On a quality adjusted basis a decade ago your computer could do a lot but it wasn’t as smart, it didn’t have as many tips and tricks and everything else in it. Now, for probably relatively the same dollar price, you’re getting quite a bit more in terms of what it can achieve.

“It’s similar with telecommunications equipment – the clear example there is mobile phones. The quality adjustment there is enormous.

“Every year phones get a better camera, they get faster processing. In recent times, they’ve had AI interactions and a whole lot of other stuff besides.”

Direct credit service charges – down 30 percent

Olsen said banks had cut a number of fees in recent years.

“Effectively, the overall aggregate average for those direct credit fees are becoming smaller.

“A lot of people don’t pay the various fees at their bank unless they’re in a very particular type of account.

“Those that do … banks do try to lower those over time. So you’re not having to pay $5 every time you log into your bank account just to see your balance or anything.

“Effectively you are seeing those various banking transaction fees more generally pull back over time.”

Pharmaceutical products – down 10 percent

The removal of the prescription fee was cited as a big driver of the drop in pharmaceutical product prices.

“We don’t pay a lot for medicines in New Zealand,” Eaqub said.

Olsen said Pharmac’s suite of drugs was also expanding.

“You’d probably expect that to broadly continue … there’s a lot of expensive drugs around the world that New Zealanders are looking for. Government doesn’t have an endless bucket of money, but Pharmac does drive pretty good value in those areas, which is important, I think, for the overall costs that households might have to cope with.”

Purchase of new cars – down 4 percent

Eaqub said cars could be affected by a lack of demand.

Olsen said there was also a compositional shift and quality shift reflected in the data. “You’re getting much more efficient vehicles over time, their technology is of a higher standard and there are more safety features.

“Over time as well we have seen, certainly in the last couple of years, a bit of a focus around some of those cheaper entry models that are coming through.

“Some of the prices have been lower particularly over the last couple of years when you look at how many vehicles are being pumped out around the world and that sort of oversupply, particularly coming out of China, has been limiting price increases to a degree.

Early childhood education – down 3 percent

The introduction of the Family Boost policy, which covers a portion of many households’ childcare costs, may have been responsible for this drop.

Olsen said, overall, the data showed that it was unusual to see an outright fall in sticker prices.

“The closest example would be if Stats NZ was still looking at the price of, say, DVD players, they would probably have fallen 90-plus percent because there’s no demand.

“If you want an old vintage one you are probably getting it for $2 at the op shop or something … compared to what it might have originally retailed for. A lot of the time those that fall out of favour and which would have implicitly have had a big price plunge because there is no demand for them anymore, we just don’t collect the prices because they aren’t something that people buy.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

US artificial intelligence company Anthropic is expanding its presence in Australia and New Zealand.

The company, which is in the midst of suing the US government over its retaliation for a dispute about safeguards in its AI technology, says it is opening an office in Sydney.

“The expansion reflects strong demand from businesses in Australia and New Zealand, and will help us better serve the country’s unique AI ecosystem,” says a company statement.

Anthropic says Australia and New Zealand rank 4th and 8th globally in Claude usage, relative to population, according to the company’s latest Economic Index.

It lists current Australia-based clients as Canva, Quantium, and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

“We’re excited by the ways organizations in Australia and New Zealand are applying AI to areas of national importance-financial services, agricultural technology, clean energy innovation, healthcare delivery, cutting-edge deep tech and scientific research, along with AI transformation in the enterprise,” said Chris Ciauri, the company’s managing director of international.

Anthropic’s court action against the Pentagon comes after it labelled the company a supply chain risk, which affects how it does business with other firms working with the Department of Defense.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand