In the past few years, the fresh produce industry has had more than its fair share of disruption. Weather events continue to test growing regions, but the challenges have stretched far beyond the climate. Technology failures, supply chain delays and biosecurity threats have all reminded us how quickly normal operations can be interrupted.

One example was the global CrowdStrike issue, which affected businesses across the world, including MG. While our core systems remained intact, an external provider was impacted. That forced a rapid switch to manual processes and older systems while the team worked around the clock to keep the markets operating. It highlighted just how dependent everyday tasks have become on technology and reinforced the need to plan for situations where digital tools suddenly go offline.

Biosecurity has also come into sharp focus. The recent detection of the yellow-legged hornet in Auckland and two separate male Oriental fruit fly finds in early 2025 all served as reminders that new risks can appear quickly and without warning. The work carried out by Biosecurity New Zealand has kept these issues contained, but every incident shows how fast something could escalate if not managed well.

Events like these are a useful prompt for growers to consider how prepared their own businesses are for sudden disruption. A plan does not need to be complicated to be effective, but it does need to be practical.

Growing businesses are busy places and stopping to consider “what if” scenarios is not always easy. But as many growers know, investing even a small amount of time in planning makes it far easier to respond when something unexpected happens.

Across the MG Group, teams have shown how important agility and communication are during a disruption. Whether it is weather, logistics, IT challenges or biosecurity issues, the MG network is designed to adapt quickly and support growers to keep product moving. That support becomes even more effective when growers also have clear plans in place at their end.

Being ready for the unexpected will never remove uncertainty, but it does make tough moments more manageable. In an industry where unpredictability is a
constant, a simple business continuity plan can be one of the most valuable tools on the farm.

Some helpful starting points include:

• Identifying the tasks critical to keeping your business running and noting what would happen if they stopped
• Backing up important information and keeping copies in more than one place
• Ensuring staff know who to contact, what to prioritise, and what alternative processes to use
• Preparing for power outages by checking access to generators, fuel, water and communication tools
• Thinking through how you would operate if digital systems or machinery were unavailable for a period of time
• Reviewing your approach to biosecurity, including hygiene, visitor protocols and monitoring routines
• Keeping an updated contact list for contractors, advisors, insurers and key suppliers