Hastings vegetable plant closures: Mayors call for Government-backed study

Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Will Foley and Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum met with politicians in Wellington this week to drum up support for a feasibility study into the announced closures of food processing plants in Hawke's Bay.

With two Hawke’s Bay food processing plants set to close, two local mayors have taken the region’s food sector concerns to Wellington.

They want Government support for an independent, grower-led feasibility study into the closures.

In March, McCain announced it would shut its Hastings vegetable processing plant in 2027.

The Omahu Rd plant processed more than 50,000 tonnes of vegetables annually and employed 200 people, according to Federated Farmers.

Three days earlier, Heinz Wattie’s confirmed it would close its Christchurch, Dunedin and Auckland manufacturing sites after consultation with staff.

Frozen packing lines in Hastings would also close.

The announcement meant the loss of about 300 roles across the impacted sites.

In April, the Primary Production Select Committee opened a briefing into announcements by McCain Foods and Heinz Wattie’s to close processing plants in Hastings and across the country.

Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Will Foley and Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum met with ministers, opposition MPs and select committee members in Wellington this week to discuss the future of vegetable processing in the region.

Both mayors were seeking support for a study into the closure announcements.

They said the discussions with politicians focused on exploring options to retain large-scale vegetable processing capacity in the region.

The mayors said an independent feasibility study was an important next step in assessing pathways forward – including grower co-operative options, potentially at the McCain Foods processing site.

“These closures are not just a Hawke’s Bay issue – they raise important questions about New Zealand’s future food production capability, regional manufacturing resilience and economic security,” Schollum said.

The proposed study, requested by growers, would assess the commercial viability of future processing models, including infrastructure requirements, market opportunities, energy and water considerations, logistics, workforce needs and overall commercial sustainability.

Foley said it was important growers had access to credible, independent information before major decisions were made.

“This work needs to remain grower-led and commercially grounded, but there is a strong case for Government support given the wider regional and national implications.”

Both welcomed the select committee briefing but said it was important Hawke’s Bay growers, workers and communities were heard from directly.

However, the mayors said their discussions reinforced broader challenges facing regional food production and manufacturing, including energy affordability, water security, infrastructure pressures and compliance costs.