The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Dannevirke: Field day considers future feijoa growing

By Christine McKay
Hawkes Bay Today·
18 Jul, 2016 04:59 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Dr Andrew West, senior lecturer at Massey Institute of Food Science and Technology, explains where research into feijoas is heading at Monday's workshop. Photo / Christine McKay

Dr Andrew West, senior lecturer at Massey Institute of Food Science and Technology, explains where research into feijoas is heading at Monday's workshop. Photo / Christine McKay

With farmers facing increased volatility, alternative crops for top-end markets could be the way of the future for Tararua.

Last Monday's feijoa field day and workshop in Dannevirke was designed to expand on existing grower-led initiatives and maximise commercial opportunities for the benefit of local growers, Lianne Simpkin, the Tararua District Council's economic development and communications manager, said.

Mrs Simpkin said she believes Tararua could be the feijoa capital of the world.

"But we need some really big growers and we're encouraging people to work together."

Growing produce is not the biggest hurdle facing most fresh food growers, however, it's developing a marketing strategy.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

For Tararua grower Gerry Parker, whose property is just south of the Tui Brewery, his business ethos is a commitment to good quality, healthy food grown in a sustainable way.

"But we need a big volumes to make a difference," he said.

More than 30 people attended the event, visiting two local growers, Gerry Parker and Richard Emery, and then learning more from Ron Bailey, the past president of the Avocado Growers Association, Dr Andrew West of Massey University and Todd Abrahams of Pole-to-Pole Fresh.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Studies carried out by TDC in conjunction with Niwa on crops which would work in Tararua, have identified 10 high-end, high-return crops, including feijoas, Mrs Simpkin said.

At Mr Emery's Kaitoki River Rd block east of Dannevirke, 400 feijoa trees have been planted, with another 300 on the way, the trees costing $12 plus GST sourced from Waimea Nurseries in Nelson.

To develop his block so far has cost $17,000.

"I'm not just sticking to feijoas," Mr Emery said. "I've planted 30 plum trees, 23 hazelnuts and a couple of rows of grapes."

Richard and Julie Winder from Greytown have added feijoas to their orchard of 1200 olive trees, along with citrus, pomegranates, hazelnuts and saffron.

The Winders belong to the hazelnut group set up by Mrs Simpkin as part of the council's GO! Project and they believe she is working particularly well helping to promote alternate crops.

Louise Charlton (left), of the Tararua Business Network, discusses crop options at Richard Emery's property on Kaitoki River Rd.
Louise Charlton (left), of the Tararua Business Network, discusses crop options at Richard Emery's property on Kaitoki River Rd.

Selling their olive oil, Greytown Gold, to delicatessens, at Moore Wilson stores and online, they are able to utilise an olive press just 4km up the road from their orchard.

"We also dry our feijoas and package them for sale and now we're looking at pulping and freezing them in 100g vacuum packs to meet the demand for smoothies," Julie said. "We're also trialling capers, it's something no one else is doing. We sell to a niche market, direct to restaurants, along with our saffron."

Louise Charlton, one of the team at the Tararua Business Network, is working with supermarkets, encouraging them to stock local.

"We want to be the region which has the biggest grown local section," she said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

From Te Puke, Mr Bailey was a pioneer in the development of the avocado industry. He said it was important to grow quality fruit in enough volume to ensure marketers could sell with confidence.

And Dr West, a lecturer at Massey University's Institute of Food Science and Technology, said there is interest in the health benefits of feijoas, with the importance of working together to create opportunities vital to the development of the industry.

Mr Abrahams has established Zeijoa Ltd, as an avenue for exports.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Te Puke incident: Person airlifted after serious injury

The Country

Chris Hipkins ponders a grand coalition on The Country

The Country

Celebrations start Saturday for Poverty Bay A&P Association's 150th year


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Te Puke incident: Person airlifted after serious injury
The Country

Te Puke incident: Person airlifted after serious injury

One person was airlifted to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition.

17 Jul 02:26 AM
Chris Hipkins ponders a grand coalition on The Country
The Country

Chris Hipkins ponders a grand coalition on The Country

17 Jul 01:45 AM
Celebrations start Saturday for Poverty Bay A&P Association's 150th year
The Country

Celebrations start Saturday for Poverty Bay A&P Association's 150th year

16 Jul 11:26 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP