The early 1900s marked a period of rapid growth for New Zealand’s horticulture industry. A key milestone came in 1901, when the first national conference of fruitgrowers and horticulturists was held in Dunedin. For the first time, delegates from Fruitgrowers’ Associations and Horticultural Societies across the country gathered to share knowledge, coordinate efforts, and advocate collectively for the sector’s future¹.

In Hawke’s Bay, this spirit of collaboration led to the formation of the Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association (HBFA) in 1911. Established by local orchardists determined to improve conditions for growers, the HBFA responded to shared challenges including weather risks, fluctuating markets, and limited storage, transport, and marketing infrastructure. Hawke’s Bay was already recognised as a fertile growing region, but growers needed a united voice and practical support to help the industry thrive.

One of the most influential figures in this movement was Alexander Morris Morrison, better known as A.M. “Apple Muncher” Robertson². In 1900, he purchased a block of land in Hawke’s Bay, which he and his wife Ellen planted with eight acres of apples and pears,  all while towing their young child in a box cart from tree to tree. This hands-on beginning sparked a lifelong commitment to the horticulture industry and to representing the interests of fruitgrowers.

As President of the HBFA, A.M. Robertson was instrumental in turning advocacy into action. In 1916, he helped establish a small trading operation in a shed on the Association Secretary’s property in Hastings, effectively the country’s first Fruitfed Supplies store. Two years later, in 1918, the Association purchased a property on St Aubyn Street, Hastings, converting the existing cottage into a permanent store to better service local growers.

Robertson’s vision extended beyond Hawke’s Bay. He played a key role in forming the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation, advocating strongly for cooperative trading to ensure growers could access essential supplies such as sprays and machinery at fair prices. In 1920, the Federation followed the HBFA’s lead by opening its own store in Hastings. Over time, the Fruitgrowers’ Federation became both the national voice of the horticultural industry and a trusted supplier of crop protection products and harvesting equipment.

In the 1990s, Fruitfed Ltd,  the commercial arm of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation, was listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange, reflecting the scale and maturity of the operation. In 1999, Fruitfed Ltd was acquired by Williams & Kettle, bringing together deep horticultural expertise with a broader rural services network. This business was later acquired by Wrightson Ltd in 2005, forming part of what is now PGG Wrightson.

Today, Fruitfed Supplies, as a division of PGG Wrightson, continues the commercial legacy begun by the Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association more than a century ago. The same principles of collaboration, practical support, and grower-first thinking still underpin the business, delivering world-class products, advice, and service to horticulturalists across New Zealand.

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Title image: New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation building, Bennetts Road, Roxburgh, Circa 1968. Image credit: PGG Wrightson Heritage Collection.

References:

1. Thomson, A. D. (1978). Leonard Cockayne: Horticulturist. New Zealand Journal of Botany, 16(3), 397–404. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1978.10425148
2. Mannering, R. 100 Harvests, A History of Fruitgrowing in Hawke's Bay (1999)