Horticulture New Zealand and Kaipara Moana Remediation launch programme for Northland kūmara growers

Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) and Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR) are partnering on a programme to build resilience across the Northland/Te Tai Tokerau kūmara industry.

The pilot programme in local drainage districts will see the organisations working together to support kūmara growers in the Northern Wairoa catchment to achieve best management practice on the land and restore local waterways. It will include fencing and native planting programmes.

The initiative includes growers who are participating in the HortNZ Growing Change project.

Kate Scott, chief executive of HortNZ, says the project will focus on supporting growers to increase resilience while also reducing impacts from growing operations.

“We identified an opportunity to establish a partnership with KMR as part of the Growing Change project workstreams. The KMR programme is designed to assist Northland primary sector landowners in the Kaipara Moana catchment in reducing sediment loss by up to 50 per cent and restoring waterways. That aligns well with the Growing Change objectives. 

“We encourage kūmara growers to get involved with the programme. Growers strive to take care of their local waterways but sometimes they lack the support and funding to take action.

“In collaboration with KMR, we are committed to supporting kūmara growers to enhance on-farm practices and biodiversity and contribute towards sustainable environmental outcomes.”

The joint initiative will be delivered through the KMR programme and will help provide evidence to support a grower's NZ Good Agricultural Practice (NZGAP) Environment Management System (EMS) add-on and contribute to wider freshwater improvements in the Kaipara catchment.

Justine Daw, KMR Pou Tātaki (chief executive), said the partnership programme, which is funded through until 30 June, will support growers to take up KMR practical projects, including fencing and native planting programmes to promote on-farm biodiversity, improve soil management practices to reduce overall freshwater impacts and contribute to wider freshwater improvements in the Kaipara Moana catchment.

“This project will support the restoration of the Kaipara Moana and promote horticulture best management practices. Our goal is to support increased resilience to future climatic events such as floods, cyclones and storms, increase environmental stewardship and improve social cohesion and resilience across participating rural communities.”

As part of the project, local leaders from the Raupō drainage district and Kaipara District Council are involved in peer reviewing the design of planting projects. Reducing sedimentation is an important part of protecting drainage schemes, reducing maintenance costs and ensuring they can operate as planned during high rainfall.

HortNZ will be identifying growers to participate in the planting project. Once growers have registered, KMR will engage directly with them to get the planning and planting process underway.

HortNZ and KMR will outline the partnership and planting programme at the Vegetables NZ Research Roadshow event in Dargaville on 19 February.  They will also be connecting with the Northern Wairoa Vegetable Growers Association.

KMR is the largest harbour restoration initiative in New Zealand. It invests in projects to restore wetlands, fence off rivers and streams, plant trees and regenerate forest on erosion-prone land with the long-term aim of halving sediment flows into the Kaipara harbour.

HortNZ advocates for and represents the interests of New Zealand’s 4,500+ commercial fruit and vegetable growers.

Through the Growing Change project, it works to support growers to achieve farm environmental actions in the development of freshwater farm plans through its industry assurance programme NZGAP EMS Add-on.

Growing Change is a three-year partnership between HortNZ and the Ministry for the Environment (MfE). Funded through the Essential Freshwater Fund, administered by MfE, it aims to build capacity and capability within the horticulture sector, and enduring support for growers, to deliver GAP freshwater farm plans.