fbpx
Print this page
Friday, 23 September 2016 12:56

Hawke's Bay farmers should embrace organics: OANZ

Written by 
More Hawke’s Bay farmers should take up the proposition of organics, says Organics Aotearoa NZ CEO, Brendan Hoare. More Hawke’s Bay farmers should take up the proposition of organics, says Organics Aotearoa NZ CEO, Brendan Hoare.

More Hawke’s Bay farmers should take up the proposition of organics to safeguard the region’s environment and grow its economy, says the country’s peak organic body.

Addressing a group of growers and stakeholders in Hawke’s Bay on Thursday night, chief executive of Organics Aotearoa NZ (OANZ), Brendan Hoare, says there had never been a better time to realise New Zealand’s organic opportunity.

“The findings of our 2016 Organic Market Report clearly show that consumer demand for organics both here and overseas continues to grow,” he says.

“New Zealand still has enough of a clean, green reputation to capitalise on that demand. But organics aren’t just about products; they’re about properties too, and how those properties’ natural assets – and so the natural assets of the wider district – can be protected.

“Organic land management practices can go a long way towards assisting with that.”

Hoare says increased organic production in Hawke’s Bay sits naturally alongside the local and regional food emphasis in the region’s “Great Things Grow Here” initiative.

“Certified organic products with their proven consumer assurance systems help prove the authenticity of that claim to the market,” he says.

“Hawke’s Bay has already demonstrated its commitment to remaining GE-free. By encouraging organic land management and production, this region could become a national leader in sustainability.”

The Hawke’s Bay visit by OANZ representatives will continue on Friday with field trips to local producers.

The event was hosted by Bostocks NZ, True Earth, Villa Maria NZ, Chantal Organics and supported by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Great Things Grow Here.

More like this

Haere Ra 2024: Te Matau-a-Māui, Hawke's Bay

Kate Radburnd has seen plenty of challenges in the Hawke's Bay wine industry during her 41-year wine career, including the destruction wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle in vintage 2023, and the resilience and recovery of the region in its wake.

Scanning data at your fingertips

A partnership between two technology companies in Hawke's Bay is making orchard data more easily accessible to growers using new interactive online heat maps.

Best of Wine Tourism

Four Hawke’s Bay wine tourism operations have been celebrated in the inaugural Great Wine Capitals Best Of Wine Tourism awards.

Featured

LIC Space folds for good

Farmer co-operative LIC has closed its satellite-backed pasture measurement platform – Space.

Editorial: Time for common sense

OPINION: The case of four Canterbury high country stations facing costly and complex consent hearing processes highlights the dilemma facing the farming sector as the country transitions into a replacement for the Resource Management Act (RMA).

National

Machinery & Products

Calf feeding boost

Advantage Plastics says it is revolutionising calf meal storage and handling, making farm life easier, safer, and more efficient this…

JD's precision essentials

Farmers across New Zealand are renowned for their productivity and efficiency, always wanting to do more with less, while getting…