Feijoa market flourishing

Commercial feijoa production is doing well in Hawke's Bay, says Hamish Blackberry of Just Feijoas.

His sells them through the Hawke's Bay farmers' market and to Wellington supermarkets but his biggest client is in Hastings.

"Just Feijoas to date has harvested 9000kg of feijoas for processing at Enza Foods Hastings factory into juice for Just Juice and concentrate exported to Japan."

He said the season had been a good one so far, with the heavy rains not affecting the fruit adversely. But by far the biggest lift to production has been the discovery of local growers.

"A customer approached me at the farmers' market and told me he had 400 trees around Fernhill and needed a market for them. Within 48 hours there was five of us harvesting this block, that would normally be left to the sheep."

Another block has come to light in Bridge Pa.

"According to data, there is going to be more volume come onto production in the next five years which will create a surplus if it is all put into local market," Mr Blackberry said.

"Just Feijoas is continually export-ready and working closely with produce exporters RD8 in Hastings [to] have the capacity to meet whatever the customer requires."

He said the Fruit Logistica trade show was successful in Asia last year, where there was "considerable interest".

"Currently samples are being sent to customers to try in Singapore, Russia and the UK."

He is still looking for his first Asian order but has sold them to the UK, where there is a market for homesick Kiwis.

He said they sold better in colder climates, where they did not grow well and there was no home-garden competition.

Feijoas are native to the highlands of southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina.