50 | A wider push into premium apple production FarmRight is expected to become New Zealand’s third largest apple producer by area by the end of 2026. Karen Phelps New Zealand Superannuation Fund rural investment manager FarmRight is continuing to expand its orchard investment and by the end of 2026 is expected to become New Zealand’s third largest apple producer by area, says Red Martin, general manager of FarmRight’s pip fruit portfolio. As part of this it is continuing to develop Torea, New Zealand’s largest pip fruit development at Pendarves in Canterbury, as part of a wider push into premium apple production. Torea is a collaboration between FarmRight and fresh produce distributor, marketer and exporter T&G Global. “The Torea development reflects both ambition to grow and long-term diversification strategy across the FarmRight portfolio,” says Red. Located on a former 460-hectare dairy unit, Torea is being developed into a 125-hectare planting of Rockit apples and 125 hectares of Joli making it the largest single-site orchard in New Zealand. Joli, developed by Plant & Food Research and licensed commercially by T&G Global, is being positioned for premium Asian markets. It is a large red apple known for its juiciness and balanced sweetness. Red says selecting the right variety for each site is critical to performance and market outcomes. In the broader FarmRight pip fruit portfolio there are 80 hectares of Envy apples in Hawke’s Bay, 120 hectares at Riwaka and 80 hectares at Appleby Orchards in Tasman, which grows Ambrosia, Envy, EverCrisp and Joli varieties. In Canterbury, where Red says New Zealand Apples & Pears data recorded 186 hectares of apples across approximately 13 growers last year, the Pendarves development represents a significant concentration of new plantings in a region increasingly attractive due to large scale land availability, irrigation access and proximity to labour markets. He says labour remains the most significant operational challenge and also a great opportunity for the region. “We have around 25 full-time staff and at peak we’ll need 450 harvest staff on Torea, approximately 200 full time equivalent, so that’s a lot of new jobs, which has a flow on effect to the wider economy.” To support this workforce FarmRight is constructing a 100-bed accommodation facility on site at Torea, with a further 200-bed facility planned near Rakaia or Ashburton. “As there is a shortage of accommodation in the region we are looking at linking this new facility RURAL SERVICES » FarmRight we will build with alternative Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) employers so they can also make use of the facility for their workers out of our peak season. This will help to address wider labour challenges in the region.” He says FarmRight’s single-variety orchards intensify labour demand. “For example in Riwaka we grow 120ha of one variety. Normally a property of that size would have an extended harvest window of 10 weeks spread over multiple varieties. With a single variety that harvest window drops to three to four weeks. To mitigate this issue within a region we have mixed varieties across our orchards so we can also transfer staff between orchards.” Red says FarmRight’s pip fruit portfolio is currently in a consolidation phase. “Around 80% of our orchards are new development so there is a huge amount of production coming on. This means there is a focus on ensuring we get our canopies right so we can reach our target production.” 10 MOFFAT STREET, NIGHTCAPS PHONE 03 225 7893 Email transport.services@hwr.co.nz
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