Wattie's has some of its highest yielding tomato crops in 50 years

Photo / Supplied - Wattie's

RNZ

Wattie's has had a bumper tomato crop this season with some of the highest yielding tomato paddocks in the company's 50-year history.

The crop hit a record of 140 metric tons per hectare, which is the equivalent of 5.6 kilograms of fruit per plant or 14 kilograms of tomatoes for every square metre.

Wattie's managing director Neil Heffer said 39,000 metric tons of field tomatoes had been processed since the harvest began in mid-February.

Tomatoes are steamed, peeled and or diced for canning while others are put through an evaporator and made into condensed tomato paste used in products like soup, baked beans and spaghetti.

Heffer said the harvest team had worked extremely hard to keep the machinery operating through several wet weather spells to maximise yields from each tomato crop.

"We are fortunate to have a local family helping with the tomato harvest, a family that has done so for more than two decades.

"They operate the harvesters and tractors right through the harvest season, approximately 70 days, day and night and we are extremely grateful for their support again this year."

- RNZ