NZ growers lead freshwater compliance
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says that commercial fruit and vegetable growers are getting ahead of freshwater farm plan regulations through its Growing Change project.
Aucklanders face a $1.1 billion economic hit unless they curb their voracious appetite for building houses on top-quality, horticultural land.
That’s the worst-case scenario in a report by Deloitte for Horticulture New Zealand, made public at Parliament last week. It paints a gloomy picture for residents of the city of sails (sales?) as urban sprawl gobbles up the land that feeds them.
The report investigates the plight of the ‘Pukekohe hub’ -- 4359ha on the far southwestern fringe of Auckland where vegetables are grown for the city, other regions and for export.
The region is seriously threatened by urban sprawl.
The report notes that while the Pukekohe hub makes up only 3.8% of the value of all NZ land in horticultural production, it accounts for 26% of the total dollar value of vegetables grown in NZ.
The report shows commercial growers’ have limited ability to respond to production constraints. It says any more land restrictions in the next 25 years would cause serious economic loss and 4500 jobs would be squandered. Fruit and vegetable growing would drop by up to 55% and vegetable prices would rise by an estimated 58%, so that a lettuce could cost a consumer up to $5.55.
Conversely, the report says, if rigid land-use rules were eased elsewhere in Auckland region to prevent the Pukekohe land being lost to housing, the region would be able to supply Auckland’s estimated population of 2.2 million by 2043.
It recommends devising ways to better balance urban and rural environments, including technology to manage intensification of cropping and environmental limits.
The CEO of Apples and Pears NZ, Karen Morrish, says the strategic focus of her organisation is to improve grower returns.
A significant breakthrough in understanding facial eczema (FE) in livestock brings New Zealand closer to reducing the disease’s devastating impact on farmers, animals, and rural communities.
Farmer co-operative LIC has closed its satellite-backed pasture measurement platform – Space.
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).
The 2024-25 season apple harvest has “well and truly exceeded expectations”, says Apples and Pears NZ chief executive Karen Morrish.
Through collaborative efforts with exhibitors, visitors, and industry partners, Fieldays says it is reaffirming its commitment to environmental responsibility with new initiatives for 2025.
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