| 95 Methven Seed Cleaning expanding RURAL SERVICES » Methven Seed Cleaning Methven Seed Cleaning’s new building. Sue Russell Craig Carter began working for Methven Seed Cleaning Ltd in 2005. He and wife Wendy purchased the business and took over its operation five years later, growing it from an initial team of three to upward of 13 staff. “Back then, we probably processed about 1500 to 2000 tonne of product and since growing we now clean and process 10,000 tonne seasonally. We’re pretty well at maximum processing capacity now,” Craig says. The seed sorting screens process seed from the smallest ‘brown top’ to the largest ‘broad bean’ and everything in between. The company has two Cimbria 106 machines, one Westrup, two Clipper machines, a Pearler and two seed treating machines. The Cimbrias are used mainly for grass, peas and beans while the Westrup is used for food grade products. The Clippers are older, smaller and slower machines used for processing clover, browntop and brassicas on. Asked about building additional capacity Craig says recent zoning changes have precluded the business expanding beyond its current site. “We are food-grade registered and we pearl a lot of barley and wheat and we process a lot of linseed for human consumption.” Recently a new 30m x 24m shed was completed on the site and Craig says it is already full. A part change in ownership has also taken place, with Craig’s daughter Olivia and husband Kerry taking up the chief seeding testing and 2IC roles. “It’s a good time to be thinking about succession and to step back a little from the day to day,” says Craig. Every seed processed is sampled to ensure it meets MPI regulations. This testing is undertaken by Assure Quality, Food Assurance Services. “The rules require that the seed is professionally tested before the seed owners can ship it overseas. This creates a three to six week delay. Because of the regulations they could ship on purity but now it has to wait for germination.” Asked through this time of transition within the company, what his key roles are, Craig says he mainly looks after all the bookings and clients which Kerry sets up machines for each batch of processing. “There are now so many more different varieties of seed grown and all sorts of grasses. During COVID we were an essential service. We didn’t stop and we were lucky the whole team didn’t get the virus at the same time.” As residential precincts creep closer to Methven Seed Cleaning’s site and with the new shed the company has invested heavily in dust extraction systems. And with the sterling work agronomists have done through a very positive growing season in Canterbury, most of the 15 or so seed cleaning and processing businesses are at capacity. “We really need farmers to have more farm storage capacity as seed and grain volumes increase. We are members of the NZ Grain and Feed Association and discussions with industry DairyFeed&CropStorageSpecialists Ph: 03 303 7266 | Mob: 027 514 6066 Email: tom@pmr.co.nz | Web: www.pmr.co.nz • Seed Cleaning • Engineering & Design • Milling & Feed Plants • Disc Mill & Dairy Feed Systems groups on this issue are taking place.” During the peak of work, RSE workers from Tonga are brought in and housed. That period roughly runs from mid-January to mid August. “They are excellent to work with. We can’t find locals to take up the work so we greatly appreciate the RSE’s contribution to the success of the business.” Methven Seed’s has two Cimbria 106 machines, one Westrup, two Clipper machines, a Pearler and two seed treating machines.
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