Could Hawke’s Bay become NZ’s next seeds powerhouse?

Résumé détaillé

Plans to transform Hawke’s Bay into a one-stop shop for the seeds sector with new infrastructure are seen as a step towards a more resilient future for North Island growers. A new…

High-value seed exports earned around $339m in the year to last June. Photo / RNZ, Alexa Cook

Plans to transform Hawke’s Bay into a one-stop shop for the seeds sector with new infrastructure are seen as a step towards a more resilient future for North Island growers.

A new seed cleaning, processing and storage facility was proposed for Central Hawke’s Bay, after the Government approved a $3 million loan application from growers for the Regional Infrastructure Fund.

In one of the Government’s final funding decisions before last weekend’s general election, it also approved a $1.5m loan for a new grain drying and 4000-tonne capacity storage facility for Carterton in nearby Wairarapa.

Recently announced closures of Hawke’s Bay vegetable processing factories and Malteurop’s Marton malthouse, the largest in the country, cast uncertainty over the season ahead for growers, farmers and workers.

Currently, seed products were trucked and shipped to Manawatū or Canterbury for specialist services, so each project sought to reduce transport times.

This was while sustained high fuel prices continued to hurt New Zealand’s primary industries this year, because of the US and Israel’s war with Iran that started in February.

Associate Minister for Regional Development Mark Patterson said the Government hoped the two seed and grain investments would “turbocharge” the sectors.

“Obviously, the arable sector and the small seeds sector are under a bit of pressure, so it’s the Government’s way where we can show confidence in those particular industries that they are going to come out the other end,” he said.

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