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

Growing numbers come to learn more about oats

Otago Daily Times
9 Feb, 2021 09:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

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

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Otama farmer Mike Solari and PGGWrightson's Nick Hishon inspect an oat field. Photo / Fiona Ellis

Otama farmer Mike Solari and PGGWrightson's Nick Hishon inspect an oat field. Photo / Fiona Ellis

The oat-farming field is growing in Southland.

Farmer Graeme Gardyne held a field day his East Chatton Road property near Gore on Thursday.

People toured his fields to get a first-hand look at how the oat crops, which included experimental breeds, were growing.

Speakers included Plant Research breeder Adrian Russell, Harraways Oats representatives, Great South and oat milk industry representatives.

The field day went well, with about 80 people attended the annual event, he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Last year, the turnout was about 70, and a decade ago it would have been about 40.

"There were more potential growers there yesterday, normally they'd be people that were already growing oats."

The increase in interest was due to the buzz around oat milk, and due to oats being a crop low in carbon emissions, he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The changes the Government wants to see, growing more oats probably fits into that."

Oat crops were also good at taking up nutrients that could be leached out, he said.

"If you're putting a crop of oats in after a crop that's had swedes or fodder beet, it's going to utilise those nutrients."

"I see oats as being complementary to other farming types rather than in competition."

Discover more

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth: Why veganism won't save the world

19 Jan 12:00 AM

Positive start to New Zealand export onion season

19 Jan 12:45 AM

Oat industry keen for first plant-based milk factory in New Zealand

04 Feb 08:00 PM

Social media could be boosting sales of exotic kiwano fruit from Te Puke

09 Feb 01:15 AM

"It's a crop that fits in with what's already happening here in Southland."

As a wheat and barley farmer who also ran sheep and cattle, he was an example of this integrated approach.

Oat crops could also be complementary to dairy farmers, he said.

"They may grow oats either to bale or to harvest and that would use up some of their free nutrients."

All Good's Simon Coley attended to learn more about the crop.

He was looking at expanding his business to make oat-based smoothies, he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's great to see where products come from."

Otama cereal farmer Mike Solari said he came because he was considering growing oats. He already grew wheat, barley and peas.

"Oats are a healthy food. There's a market demand for it. Every year production is going up," he said.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Farmer recounts lightning strike ordeal

The Country

The Country: Why did the GDT drop 4.3%?

Listen

Burglary, floods, injury: How Farmstrong Champion Amber Carpenter coped with adversity


Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Farmer recounts lightning strike ordeal
The Country

Farmer recounts lightning strike ordeal

He passed out and lost his vision for five to 10 minutes after being hit by lightning.

03 Sep 04:51 AM
The Country: Why did the GDT drop 4.3%?
The Country

The Country: Why did the GDT drop 4.3%?

03 Sep 01:34 AM
Burglary, floods, injury: How Farmstrong Champion Amber Carpenter coped with adversity
Listen

Burglary, floods, injury: How Farmstrong Champion Amber Carpenter coped with adversity

03 Sep 01:32 AM


NZ’s convenience icon turns 35
Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

02 Sep 09:23 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