Friday, 19 April 2024 11:25

First harvest of table grapes - the 'king of fruit'

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Table grapes grown in Hawke's Bay are treated to individual care. Table grapes grown in Hawke's Bay are treated to individual care.

Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.

It is the first harvest of Greencollar, an innovative Japanese company determined to expand the currently tiny table grape industry in New Zealand.

The harvest follows a complex and intricate growing process. Just one bunch per shoot is selected to stay on the vine, with the rest of the flowers carefully removed. Each of the remaining bunches is hand-thinned three times to increase fragrance and sweetness, covered by delicate paper, and further protected by a little umbrella shade.

That level of care and attention reflects that for Japanese, the grape is the ‘king of fruit’. A bunch is often beautifully gift-wrapped and presented to show gratitude, or to wish someone season’s greetings.

While growing the world’s best seedless table grapes is the prime aim, the company is also focused on ensuring the company’s employees have a work-life balance that is not typical in Japan.

Hastings-based chief executive Shin Koizumi is passionate about grapes, but he is equally passionate about people having meaningful work balanced with opportunities for leisure that enhance their lives.

“For 30 years I worked in an office as a typical white-collar worker, commuted on a packed train, meeting after meeting, then I went home late at night just to sleep.  I was searching for a new lifestyle where I wasn't white-collar, nor blue-collar.  I wanted to work under the blue sky and sun, that's when I founded green-collar,” he says.

The passion for grapes come from time spent helping his grandparents harvest fruit in Yamanashi prefecture. “When I was a child, I used to help harvest grapes and cherries at my grandparent's house in Yamanashi prefecture. I remember the air and the sun, and I also remember taking fruit home with me to take to school, which made all of my school friends very happy.

“What we are doing now, growing grapes in Hastings and in rural Japan, brings together all of those elements – beautiful fruit, a wonderful lifestyle and making people happy.”

At a harvest celebration at the end of March, more than 100 guests gathered at the Maraekakaho Road vineyard, including Ambassador designate Makoto Osawa from the Japanese Embassy in New Zealand, Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst and MP for Tukituki Catherine Wedd.

Greencollars Harvest FBTW

Guests from near and far celebrate Hawke's Bay's newest grape industry.

Koizumi told guests that the siting of the business in Hawke’s Bay came about almost by a “miracle”.

“If I had not met Mr Hiroyoshi Okayama and travelled to New Zealand; and if I had not met Mr Tetsuya Higuchi when I visited New Zealand, none of this business would have started. They are my greatest supporters which I truly appreciate.”

The first annual harvest will finish this month, with the focus then going on to preparing the two- and three-year-old vines for next summer, and planting more to grow the business across 20 hectares. It will take until about 2029 for the Hastings property to reach 100% growth.

The fledgling industry has traditionally played second fiddle to wine grape growing in this country, but Japanese-based Greencollar is determined to change that. Within five years, it will have greatly increased the number of hectares currently devoted to table grapes in New Zealand (about 30 hectares). The company’s grapes will sell locally and be exported to Japan.

Mr Koizumi says the Hastings venture complements an eight-hectare vineyard the company has planted in Japan, where the harvest runs from July to September. “Hawke’s Bay has the perfect growing conditions for our grapes, with beautiful soil, long sunshine hours, and the right temperatures. It is also has the perfect lifestyle for myself, for my wife Kumiko, who has an active role in the business, my teenage daughter who is at college here in Havelock North, and our small team of dedicated staff who help us grow our premium grapes.”

More like this

Table grape grower eyes growth

With the first harvest of high-quality table grapes from 700 vines just completed, the attention of Japanese company Greencollar is on preparing to harvest from 1400 vines next summer, and putting in another 1500 this planting season.

T&G announce Peruvian grape joint venture

TURNERS & GROWERS have announced a significant joint venture with Unifrutti, with the two companies investing in the development of prime agricultural land in Piura, Peru.

Featured

Editorial: Celebrating dairy

OPINION: While dairy farmers were busy milking cows last Wednesday morning, 150 leaders and stakeholders of the industry gathered at Parliament over breakfast to celebrate their achievements.

Positive signs, says McClay

First up to the podium at the recent Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) Conference in Wellington, Minster for Agriculture, Todd McClay, reflected on a difficult 12 months, but hinted at signs that things were turning the corner, saying “when ag does well, New Zealand does well”.

Time to cast the net past China

A 2022 Nuffield scholar, Lucie Douma, was brought up on a Southland dairy farm and as a hobby likes the risky business of trail running and ultra marathons.

National

Rockit announces new CEO

Snack-size apple producer Rockit Global Ltd has appointed Grant McBeath as its new chief executive officer.

Machinery & Products

Combining track and tyre

While the last fifty years has seen massive evolution and development of the humble tractor tyre, the last two decades…

Croplands goes nuts with Nelson

Croplands and Nelson Manufacturing Company Inc, a California-based manufacturer of air-blast sprayers, has announced a new distribution partnership to deliver…

Success for Argo tractors

The judges at last year’s Agritechnica event picked the Italian-built Landini Rex 4-120GT Robo- Shift Dynamic as the Best of…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

'Sheer arrogance'

OPINION: A reader recently called out the Hound for not giving Federated Farmers enough credit for taking Otago Regional Council…

Great ideas?

OPINION: Your old mate was shocked to learn that two pet projects of progressive dreamers have come a gutser in…

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter