Last week (Friday the 20th) BayBuzz took Bostock NZ to task for continuing to sell apples to Russia, despite trade sanctions. Legal trade, but disappointing. Bostock NZ called it “humanitarian”.
Bostock offered no comment to BayBuzz at the time, which we would have happily published.
Over the weekend and days following, our BayBuzz article had thousands of (measurable) reads on our website and Facebook pages (nearly 9,000). Folks were overwhelmingly dismayed.
On Tuesday we emailed Bostock NZ:
Are you still planning a further statement?
Questions we are receiving:
Are these sales or donated apples?
Who is the end recipient — i.e. are they going to some NGO to give away or to stores for sale?
Will you be continuing to send apples to Russia?
If humanitarian gesture, why not to some other needy but non-controversial destination?
No reply.
Then on Wednesday this week, the company announced via HB Today that it would stop exporting apples to Russia. HB Today blazed the story on its front page (somehow the story has now been relegated to the inside pages in the paper’s digital edition, with a much ‘tamer’ headline) and noted the company made the decision “following criticism”.
I’m sure Bostock NZ would say “after calm reflection”.
Despite our obvious interest, BayBuzz didn’t receive that Bostock announcement until we specifically asked for it upon reading the HB Today coverage. That’s the sort of bush league tit-for-tat that goes on when media ‘offends’ big cheeses. Who would you expect more push back from, HB Today or BayBuzz?
But as a public service, here’s the Bostock NZ statement:
“Bostock New Zealand has been undertaking a review of its export operations to Russia.
“As a result of this review, Bostock New Zealand has decided to stop exporting apples to Russia and has stopped packing apples for this market.
“Of course, I’ve been absolutely appalled by Putin’s actions, and we’ve been working through what is a complex situation, which includes thinking about our staff with families who are based on the ground there. Following this decision, we’ll now put all our efforts into supporting them,” says John Bostock.
“Bostock has 14 staff based in Eastern Russia, Vladivostok, and usually exports from New Zealand into September.”
BayBuzz does have a suggestion for Bostock NZ. Since the apple sales already made were originally termed “humanitarian”, wouldn’t it be fitting to donate the proceeds to a genuine humanitarian NGO supplying aid to Ukraine?
We could all applaud Bostock NZ for that.
Wish Bostock would of come clean directly to BayBuzz
Oh Bay Buzz is so ‘woke’. I had assumed there were more nuanced reasons for Bostock to continue sales to Russia, not only profit, and indeed that was the case. I dislike this kind of shaming ‘journalism’ and it made me seriously consider ending my subscription and support.
Thank you Nita, I agree. Point-scoring from Bay Buzz makes me reluctant to support the publication.
Ahh the death throes of legacy media are so hard to witness!
Surely the childish and painfully parochial tone of this one dimensional, belligerent and unintelligent pseudo-exposé (that both conveniently and conspicuously fails to address any real issues of relevance to our local socio-political landscape) ought to provide you with more than more than enough justification to reconsider the value of your subscription to this rag? Low hanging fruit indeed!
You can take the credit ..highlighting an issue that needed a discussion . . ironically Hosking was hunting for the social pressure .. send him a sub to the bay Buzz .. people need to eat … and because the political swings have been a constant in that region over century s as they will be in Russia shortly .. sustenance of people is often best left clear of political judgements or aggressive action … the developing world is sadly littered with starving demonstrations of this ……
‘Naming and shaming’ is in itself a form of violence with no societal value. More constructive, less divisive ways of canvassing such complicated and difficult issues are needed.
How can you condemn feeding the Russian people? They are the ones who will suffer from any sanctions – halting Bostock apple exports won’t affect Putin and his cronies in any way!
Show some humanity yourself.
I think BB should keep out of other people’s business. Who made them a one size fits all social conscience?
I will not buy this magazine in future…people have a right to make their own decisions without victimization.
Tired of the woke know-all culture.
Good on you BB. Keep up the exposure & ignore the ‘warped’ comments you receive
Great to see local democracy so alive an well. With that, let us hope ( what we take for granted!) Lots more than the usual pitiful 40%, bother to “Post In” their vote, during the upcoming local body elections? After all, WE get what we deserve!
I agree that Bay Buzz does bring attention to local issues, all important in a “democracy”. Keep up the good work.