2026 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarship. Apply by 17 August 2025. Read More...

Apply for 2026 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarship by 17 August 2025. More details...

Horticulture

George Lilley

The New Zealand arable farming industry faces a number of issues as it attempts to remain profitable in a world of increasing public scrutiny and environmental regulation. This report investigates whether the integration of a hazelnut orchard into an existing Canterbury arable farm could provide a profitable alternative, a lower nitrate-N leaching profile and an opportunity to sequester carbon on-farm.

Sam Shergold

The impact of a global pandemic crisis has highlighted that the development of strategic labour force plans like the food and fibre skills action plan and the primary three year plan was all too late to assist with the biggest challenge the industry would face in over 20 years. COVID19 forced the New Zealand border into lockdown and restricted travel into New Zealand. With upcoming seasonal work starting, how was the primary industry get its capable workforce to achieve the level of productivity it was used to.

Clare Easton

The objective of the research is to provide another layer of insight and use this as a platform for further collaboration and conversation – understanding the social impacts (real and perceived) of contrasting primary sector investment in rural Hawke’s Bay – comparing sheep and beef, horticulture, dairy and forestry.

Keegan Blignaut

In this report a comparison is made between Northland and Waikato to highlight the risks of beekeeping in Northland and determine the key focus areas that can reduce these risks and deliver profitability. Using the data provided in MPI’s Apiculture Monitoring Reports from June 2008 to June 2018, it is clear that a ~12% net profit before tax was achieved during these ten years in Northland. At ~12%, this profitability is exposed to significant downward pressure due to overstocking of beehives in the region and unsettled weather.

Oscar Beattie

This study uses an analytical framework to measure the carbon footprint of orchards and vineyards as a proxy for environmental sustainability. The model uses a case study of six different orchards and vineyards, owned by Craigmore Sustainables, to get an understanding of the variability within the sector. In addition to the carbon footprint modelling, four informal interviews of leading New Zealand primary industry investment managers and large-scale corporate farmers and foresters were performed to get an understanding of the extent to which the primary industry and its investors are concerned and report on sustainability.

Alice Rule

Glass recycling is the perfect example of the circular economy in action, right here in New Zealand. It is becoming increasingly obvious, that to retain New Zealand’s prized clean green image and for our primary sector to remain competitive, a circular economy is an important part of our strategy.  The success of a circular economy … Read more

Heath Stafford

New Zealand’s (NZ) primary sectoris facing uncertainty from all angles. Brexit and the USA/China tradewar has thrown our primary sector exports in the air and we don’t know where they’ll land. Climatechange, sustainability and natural resource management ask serious questions of the sector’sperformance and its adaptability. Changing consumer preferences along with a rise of low … Read more

Katie Vickers

The aim for this commentary is to create a discussion piece for our industry leaders and to help the primary sector develop a potential common goal or value proposition. I want to challenge our thinking about how we tackle the changes that are facing our industry.

Rebecca Turley

This paper is aiming to add value to second grade onions that unable to be sold locally or exported. The aim was to understand what could be done with them to make them more saleable in the market place here and overseas. It is very early on looking into the process of adding value to … Read more

Michelle Stevens

The fable of Stone Soup tells the tale of a weary stranger arriving at a village.  He convinces the villagers to each contribute an ingredient in order to make a meal for everyone to enjoy.  The weary stranger elaborately makes use of a simple stone as the key ingredient, to start creating the soup, as … Read more

Amber Carpenter

In the race against climate change,this report explores the possibilities of the diversification of a dairy platform into horticulture.This report was not put together to come up with an answer or find a solution, the purpose of this report is to start a topic of conversation, provoke thoughts and ideas and hopefully create some positive changes for the greater good for the future of our environment.

Steve Wootton

This paper is a literature review aiming to improve understanding of the potential of planting Manuka in the South Island to produce high value manuka honey, and what impact that will have on both the farming and apiculture sector. It is obvious very early on in this process that while the Manuka honey boom seems … Read more

Simon Witheford

This business plan, to establish and operate a cherry orchard in Central Otago, intends to achieve the following objectives: Understand the costs of establishing and operating a cherry Gain an overview of the challenges and risks within the Understand the market dynamics for NZ produced cherries and what the future market trends might To be … Read more

Belinda Price

Our world in 2018, is one where perception is reality and the new industry buzz word is consumer-centric.  In a world where primary industries need be obsessed with their consumer it begs the question, what is the customer’s perception of their food and its production?  Highlighted to me two years ago when hosting a group … Read more

Rebecca Miller

This report synthesises communication, connection and collaboration into one solution-based idea, an information platform for events. I needed to identify if there was a need for an information platform.  Looking at the user/farmer not being able to attend the events from the inadequate lead in time, to missing events. For industry, understanding what the main … Read more

Glenda Hutchison

The kiwifruit sector has a serious labour shortage.  What is the extent of the shortages, why has the industry got to this problem and how can we address the shortages? The aims for me in doing this project was to get an understanding of the labour problems facing the kiwifruit industry.  I wanted to see … Read more

Bridget Huddleston

Tourism is now New Zealand’s biggest export earner which is rapidly growing, with close to five million tourists expected in 2023.  A large draw-card attracting tourists to New Zealand is the rolling hills, farming persona and pristine environment.  If New Zealand farmers can leverage off international tourists, and provide each of the five million a … Read more

Gordon Findlay

The recent outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) has shone the biosecurity spotlight directly on the pastoral sector and follows recent serious biosecurity breaches in the horticulture sector with Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) devastating kiwifruit orchards in 2010. Biosecurity in New Zealand is primarily governed through the Biosecurity Act 1993 and is led by … Read more

Rachel McClung

Urban expansion is reducing the availability of some of New Zealand’s most versatile productive land for growing food. Between 2002 and 2016 there has been a 30% reduction in vegetable-growing land across New Zealand (Deloitte, 2018). Due to the abundance of land available, there is a misconception that food crops can simply be grown elsewhere, … Read more

Jessica Smith

If our regions are not thriving the prosperity of our people declines. Half of New Zealand’s population live in the regions. It is our regions that generate our economic output through the primary industry. Kiwifruit is the largest horticultural economic contributor and is targeted for significant growth. This research is about the impact on regional … Read more

Nick Pollock

This report looks into Gisborne navel orange production and investigates why a product (Gisborne navel oranges) with world class attributes fails to deliver reasonable returns to producers, and what can be done to improve, not only this industry, but also likely to be applicable to other products or industries that may find themselves in a … Read more

Grant Payton

The report titled: Beyond the borders of Nelson – The opportunity for growth of the New Zealand hop industry sets out to establish the following key aims: To investigate the key dynamics influencing the New Zealand hop industry and understand the key drivers encouraging growth within the sector To understand the key growing requirements for … Read more

Jaimee Whitehead

Grape marc in the Marlborough region is set to increase in production by 50% in ten years. This increase in quantity could be tolerated by the multiple types of practices that currently exist, if expansion plans are in place. Comparing Marlborough to other industries or other wine regions within New Zealand and off shore is … Read more