January 18 2022
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Million dollar peanut trial underway u by Paul Campbell
An extensive new peanut growing trial in Kaipara and wider Northland has been allocated major funding, raising the prospect that a commercially viable crop is on the cards for the region’s future horticulture industry. Northland Inc is taking the lead in the new project, which will run for two years.
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The Ministry for Primary Industries is contributing nearly $700,000 to the new trial with an additional $300,000 in cash and in-kind support from Northland Inc, Picot Productions, Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research and local landowners. “The findings of a six-month feasibility study we supported late last year were encouraging,” says MPI’s Director of Investment Programmes. Steve Penno. “This new project will build upon the initial findings to determine whether it’s financially viable to plant, harvest and process peanuts at scale.” “The peanuts will be grown at seven sites across both the Kaipara and Far North Districts, over the two-year life of the project,” says Northland Inc manager Vaughan Cooper. “While it’s already clear that returns are possible from peanuts, we also need to factor in the commercial equipment required for harvesting and drying. We’ll be doing extensive economic modelling to determine whether the costs are worthwhile when producing peanuts at scale.” The news has been welcomed by Kaipara Mayor Jason Smith. “It’s great there is new investment and confidence coming for peanuts as a new crop in Kaipara. We planted a seed and it’s growing now, taken up by others and utilising Kaipara’s great soils. This is hopeful for the future.” Pic’s Peanut Butter owner, Pic Picot, was a pioneer of seeking locally sourced-
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p The taste test: Pic’s Peanut Butter CEO Stuart Macintosh (left) and business owner Pic Picot pronounced Kaipara-grown peanut butter good to go
peanuts for his Nelson-based business and says he “has long dreamed of producing from home-grown peanuts. “Plant & Food joined forces to develop a trial programme and saw good seed imported from Africa and three trial crops of around 100m2 planted in the Dargaville area,” he said. “Staff hand shucked and roasted some 10kg of the Northland nuts and made three jars of peanut butter, one of which was returned to Northland, another donated to the Nelson Provincial Museum, and the last one is on display at Pic’s Peanut Butter World in Nelson. This year, stage two of field trials are
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underway, expanded to 1.1 hectares of nuts growing at different locations including Kai Iwi Lakes, Te Kōpuru and around Awanui. “Establishing a peanut industry in Northland would help diversify its regional economy, create employment both on and off-farm, and support investment opportunities. “Pic’s uses about 3,000 tonnes of peanuts a year. So if we can grow some of them here in Northland that have the same qualities as the ones we import, it would be amazing as it would provide a local source and provide jobs for the community.” ¢
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