The New Zealand olive industry has said goodbye to one of its original members, Morry Vickers, who passed away recently. Vickers was one of the country’s first growers in the 1990s and was instrumental in setting up groves and a co-operative in the Waikato region. He was also a previous Olives New Zealand member (then the NZ Olive Association). Described as “sometimes quite outspoken but always ready to give assistance”, Vickers was the driving force behind ‘Spotless’ peacock spray, engaging the industrial chemists who created the product in an effort to resolve the country’s peacock spot problem. He also carried out many of the product trials, before it was certified and released for sale to the public.
