Gisborne maize harvest in full swing before heavy Thursday rain

The grain maize was in full swing before the heavy rain on Thursday, with growers reporting above average yields and quality. This harvester was in action near Wairoa.

The district’s grain maize producers have embraced the good weather up to the heavy rain on Thursday in a good start to the harvesting season.

Corson Grain began its harvest last week and procurement manager Richard Hyland said they had been “in full swing” before the downpours.

They are harvesting across Gisborne, Wairoa and Tolaga Bay.

The golden harvest of grain maize across Tolaga Bay, Gisborne and Wairoa will continue into June. Photo / Gisborne Herald file

“Our yields appear to be above average, along with the quality of maize we’ve been harvesting, although it’s early days in the season,” Hyland said.

Corson Grain will process about 20,000 tonnes of maize this year, all of it used in New Zealand’s breakfast cereal and snack food industries.

“Harvest conditions had been exceptional up until the heavy rain .... and the rain will slow it down a bit,” Hyland said.

“But we would expect things to come right again with the harvest in the next week.”

The district's grain maize producers are looking at a good harvest season, with above average yields and quality seen since it started a week ago. Photo / Gisborne Herald file

The grain maize season runs into June.