New Zealand: New study explains how Taurua district could grow blueberries, hazelnuts, apples and feijoas

A recent study on alternative land uses in the Tararua district has shown that blueberries, hazelnuts, cider apples and feijoas can be grown successfully in the area. The report was commissioned by the Tararua City Council. Consequently, AgFirst evaluated the soil quality, climate and economics of each crop. According to AgFirst horticulture consultant Leander Archer, it is based on another project done in the early 2000s that looked at which crops were the best for the area.

Climatic situations

“What we found is that all four crops could grow well in some areas of Tararua, but conditions differed from area to area. Pahiatua, Woodville and Dannevirke were slightly warmer and had less rainfall than Eketāhuna and Northwood, which are higher in elevation, making them less suitable than other areas," Archer said. rnz.co.nz .

Optimal conditions

The report found that with "mild to moderate soil amendment," the majority of the land area should be able to support at least one of the proposed land use options, in areas where soil amendment is not an option, blueberries could be grown in containers on top of the soil.

Long-term investment

He noted that installing a cover for the blueberries required a lot of capital, but the fruit produces a gross margin of more than $ 80,000 per hectare, so it would only take six years to break even if a farmer made the investment.

Tararua District Mayor Tracey Collis said farmers in the region have shown interest in diversifying their land. “The next step is to get interested people talking to each other so we can get experts and network around these different crops.”

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