YOUR INDUSTRY
IT’S BLUEBERRY COUNTRY Words by Geoff Lewis. Photos by Trefor Ward
Tshienne Gabay making the final inspection
For blueberry grower Blueberry Country the 2020–2021 season has been positive, after droughts in recent years, and the company looks forward to continued development of its orchards and a promising range of valueadded products. The Ohaupo-based berry grower is New Zealand’s single largest blueberry landholder and second largest producer behind industry leader NZ Gourmet. Between them, the two companies cover two-thirds of the nation’s blueberry production. Blueberry Country has four sites – Ohaupo and Ngatea in the Waikato, Waipu in Northland and Otautau in Southland, and produces about 800 tonnes of berries in a good year. This season, output is predicted around 200,000 trays (2.4 million punnets) of fresh berries. Blueberry Country doesn’t use irrigation and the past two seasons 2018–19 and 2019–20, have been a challenge with lack of rainfall in the Waikato. Chief executive Jerem Wylie says 2019–2020 was particularly difficult with dry conditions reducing production by about 30%.
‘’This season has been reasonably good, last season was very dry. The berries had good colour but didn’t size up.’’ The 2020–2021 season has almost been the opposite with a useful quantity of rain. If in fact, a bit too much. One drenching dropped 45mm in two days, causing some fruit to split. Spread from one end of the country to the other, Blueberry Country’s orchards grow in differing climates and are at varying levels of development. All are based on peat, which has the advantage of being a good retainer of moisture. Otautau, 50km north-west of Invercargill, is divided into 65 blocks with 16ha in production and another 40ha headed for planting this winter. Base drains and roading are already established.
Blueberry Country has a workforce that ranges from 135 to about 32 over the busy and less busy seasons Ngatea is almost all planted, with 45ha in production. The operation is about to go into replanting with the more desirable varieties, including BlueCrop which has a reasonably good size and taste and grows well in most places.
NZGROWER : APRIL 2021
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