NZGAP certified body for domestic marketing of subtropical's

Background:

Growers wanting to market their subtropical produce now have a route for doing this. The newly launched Kotare Subtropicals Multi-Site Grower is New Zealand Good Agricultural Practice (NZGAP) certified body for domestic New Zealand marketing of:

American Pawpaw (Asmina triloba), Arrowroot (Canna edulis), Banana – indoor & outdoor (Musa spp.), Bayberry (Myrica rubra), Black Sapote i.e. chocolate pudding fruit (Diospyros  digyna & nigra), Casimiroa (C. edulis), Cherimoya (Annona cherimola), specialty Citrus including Citron, Etrog, Finger Lime, Kumquat; Davidsons plum (Davidsonia puriens), Feijoa (Sellowiana), Fig (Ficua carissa, Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Guava (Psidium spp.), Inga Bean (Inga edulis), Jaboticaba (Plinia caulifora), Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Lucuma (Pouteria lucuma), Lychee (Sapindaceae spp.), Macadamia spp., Mango – indoor & outdoor (Mangifera spp.), Marula – (Sclerocarya birrea), Olives – table (Olea europaea), Osmanthus flowers (Osmanthus fragrans), Papaya including Acorn Babaco, Rainbow Valley Pawpaw, Red Lady (Carica spp.), Passionfruit including Granadilla & Vanilla types (Passiflora spp.), Peanut (Arachis hypogaea), Persimmon including Fuyu (Diospyros kaki), Physalis spp. including Cape Gooseberry, Pineapple – indoor & outdoor (Ananas spp.), Pomegranate (Punica granatum), Starfruit (Averrhoa carambola), Sugar Cane (Saccharum officinarum), Szechuan pepper (Zanthoxylum spp.), Tamarillo (Solanum betaceum), Wampee (Claysena lansium), indoor-grown Vanilla bean (Vanilla spp.).

Kotare Subtropicals Multi-Site Grower is a recognised NZGAP certified entity for those who are interested in selling their subtropical produce into mainstream marketplaces.

Fully satisfying Food Act and other regulatory requirements, Kotare Subtropicals provides an economically viable path to NZGAP certification that will suit niche growers aiming beyond direct selling in farmers’ markets, Mara kai (food garden) and farm gate stalls.

Kotare Subtropicals Multi-Site Grower has started up in Northland and invites interested participants from suitable regions of New Zealand to join in this new horticultural and marketing endeavour. Kotare Subtropicals Multi-Site Grower developed out of Kotare Farm Ltd., which has operated in Northland since late 2013. Originally a feijoa and fig orchard Kotare Farm expanded into bananas and other subtropicals supplying to wholesalers and supermarkets. Kotare Farm also has an on-site subtropical plant nursery which supplies new growers, plant nurseries, Iwi groups and researchers.

The way forward:

Subtropicals have been grown undercover in NZ by hobbyist growers for decades. Recently, more extensive planting has occurred when commercial growers looking to diversify have invested in these novel crops.  Some of these sites have changed from operating as flower growers, others have transitioned from livestock farming.

Changing climate is a catalyst for diversification into freshly grown New Zealand subtropicals. Local production supports import substitution and reduced food miles. Quick returns are possible with crops like bananas and pineapple for instance. Farmers, horticulturalists and even landscapers are looking to novel edible crops for new income streams. Bananas for instance can return two saleable crops within the year following the initial 12-18 month establishment period. Early returns also ensure early repayment on investment and year round revenue.

With increasing government regulation Kotare Subtropicals provides growers an affordable pathway to obtaining and maintaining NZGAP certification, food safety assurance and quality control. Meeting regulatory requirements allows producers to grow beyond face-to-face stall type selling.    

If you’re interested in finding out more, please contact Multi-Site Grower manager

Roslyn Norrie (NZGAP Auditor)
021 838 104

or

Geoff Mansell (NZGAP Inspector)
kotarefarm@yahoo.co.nz
027 434 7041