Kiwi brings home bacon

Kiwi Bacon is to sponsor the conservation and management of kiwi throughout New Zealand to the tune of at least $150,000 over three years.

Company spokesman Craig Dixon said the company wanted to do its bit to preserve the New Zealand icon.

"When Kiwi Bacon first started 75 years ago, there were about seven million kiwi. Now there are only about 70,000 so we felt we simply had to do our bit to help."

The money will be paid through a three-year sponsorship of the Bank of New Zealand Kiwi Recovery Trust.

Trust head Kieron Goodwin said sponsorship was important to allow it to continue its conservation work.

"Without help, about half of all kiwi are predicted to be extinct on the mainland within one lifetime," Mr Goodwin said.

- NZPA