As the hazelnut season concludes in New Zealand, growers urge increased research to enhance local production. The Hazelnut Growers' Association of New Zealand, representing approximately 70 stakeholders, notes that local production meets only 10-15% of the annual 200-ton demand.
Deb Whiteside and Alan Crawford, owners of Uncle Joe's farm in Marlborough, experienced a favorable crop this year, harvesting just before adverse weather conditions. Their farm processes nuts onsite and from other growers, including oil processing. Whiteside highlights the potential for expanding production, emphasizing the freshness of locally cracked kernels compared to imports.
Whiteside states, "We want to grow the industry... there are all sorts of opportunities to develop good, niche, high-value, quality products." She notes the competitive landscape, with large-scale operations in the United States and Turkey, contrasting with New Zealand's more artisanal approach. Challenges include providing trees with adequate shelter and light while managing pests.
Alison Bentley, a regenerative farming advocate, focuses on yields, cultivars, and environmental impacts at her Tikitere Farm in Rotorua. Her field trials aim to test low-nitrogen land use with 65 hazelnut trees. Bentley advocates for more growers to engage in hazelnut cultivation due to its low-care nature and environmental benefits, including carbon sequestration.
Bentley remarks, "We see lots of potential in growing and that potential can't be realised until we've done some more research... We've got a market for import displacement... and the potential to produce hazelnuts off-season from the main hazelnut-producing countries on the other side of the world." However, as a tier-three crop, hazelnuts face challenges in securing research funding due to low volumes.
She asserts that increased research could propel the sector to capitalize on domestic and export opportunities. Stats NZ data indicates that the value of New Zealand nut exports, including walnuts and chestnuts, has been around $21 million recently, with about half destined for Australia.
Source: RNZ