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Field Days was also an opportunity to brief attendees on the revised strategy of HGANZ, and Pete Barrowclough gave a short presentation before dinner on the Saturday evening.  In November the Committee met in person to review our strategy.  Previously, the Association had identified five key focus areas, and it was assumed that they all had equal merit and emphasis:

Five Key Focus Areas:

1. Increase local production
2. Increase profitability of growers
3. Education of growers and support for research to improve the industry
4. Increase public knowledge of NZ grown hazelnuts
5. Ensure the industry is sustainable and diverse

However, given the recent drop in demand your committee discussed whether we should change our priorities.

There is a clear need to increase the demand for fresh NZ-grown hazelnuts. By promoting the health and taste benefits of NZ grown fresh hazelnuts, we increase the demand for our product and profitability to growers.  An increase in demand encourages growers to focus on increasing yield (by changing their pruning/irrigation/suckering/fertiliser regimes) and investing in equipment.    This will also encourage sharing of methods and education of growers, to harvest, dry and store hazelnuts ensuring a consistent high quality fresh hazelnut (and fulfilling NZ Food Regulation standards).  In a nutshell, promoting NZ-grown hazelnuts to increase demand also drives improvements in the other Key Focus Areas.

Ivan Lawrie from FAR (Foundation for Arable Research) was the driver behind the NZ Grown Grains (see photo) certification scheme which was publicly launched in November 2025.  He presented to the Committee about the reasons behind the development of the NZ label, what was involved in the project, and what he learned along the way. 

The change to focus on promoting NZ-grown hazelnuts and the development of a NZ Grown Nuts logo and campaign will be discussed at the AGM meeting.  Meanwhile, the Committee is working on the steps and stages required for a NZ Grown Nuts scheme, and whether to bring the walnut and macadamia growers along with us. 

Nelson and Blenheim

Saturday, 21st February

9-10.30am. Orchard 1 David DeGray

10.40am-12.10pm Orchard 2. Bev Nicholls

LUNCH – Headquarters Cafe(HQ Cafe), Brightwater

2-3.30pm. Orchard 3. Karen and Darrell Johnston

4-5pm. HGANZ Strategy Meeting

DINNER – The Stables Tavern and Restaurant, Richmond

Sunday, 22nd February

10.30am-12.00pm Orchard 4. Deb Whiteside and Alan Crawford ‘Uncle Joe’s’

As the year draws to a close, I just wanted to reach out and wish you a Merry Xmas and happy holiday season.  There are a few highlights for the year that I would like to mention.  

• Firstly the field days held in Otago at the start of the year.  Whilst it was a relatively small turn out, it was great to visit some of our southern most members and see their orchards.  As always there are learnings to be taken from these field days, and it’s a great way to share information and build relationships.  
• Secondly I would like to thank our Executive Officer, Chris for all her work during the year.  It’s been a busy year for Chris training to be a nurse, juggling family responsibilities and getting in as much HGANZ work as possible.
• We used some of the HGANZ funds to send Les McCracken to the Australian hazelnut conference in Tasmania.  This was very valuable and Les has produced a report which is included in this newsletter.  We face similar challenges to the Australians and we really dont compete with them, so I see collaboration with them as a positive thing, as they do with us.
• A couple of weeks ago, most of the committee got together for a face to face strategic planning session.  The first in a couple of years.  We spent about 6 hours working through the issues that face Hazelnut growers.  Feedback from processors has been that sales have been a little slower in the last couple of years due to the economy and hazelnuts positioning as a luxury item rather than an essential item.  However they are confident of the year ahead, and I hope we will have the volumes of nuts to support them.  One of the key themes to emerge from our planning session was the need to promote NZ grown hazelnuts, and we are investigating producing a NZ Grown certification mark/logo similar to “NZ grown grains” to promote our superior product compared to imported nuts.  There will be more detail on this and our themes from the planning session at the next field days in Nelson and in coming newsletters.
• On the home front I have done some mechanical pruning of around 1000 trees which will give some interesting information for the future of the impact of more light into the canopy on nut yield.
• Lastly I would like to thank the committee for their contribution throughout the year and you all for continuing to support your association.  We are small and growing hazelnuts doesn’t have the profitability of some of the big horticultural products like kiwifruit or apples.  But it doesn’t have the risks and the same substantial capital requirements either.  It’s a good product, low in nitrogen use and carbon friendly. We will continue to help promote hazelnuts and share best practise with you in the coming year.

I hope you all get a break and dont have too much orchard work to do over the holidays.

Summary of Report on attendance at the 2025 Australian Hazelnut Growers Association Conference in Tasmania

Les McCracken

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The Australian Hazelnut Growers Association extended the New Zealand committee an invitation to attend their annual conference held in Launceston, Tasmania from 10 to 12 October this year. Les McCracken attended on behalf of the committee and this is a summary of his report to the committee.

Purpose and Overview

The reason for sending a representative to the conference is to both continue and strengthen the relationship the committee has established between the New Zealand and Australian hazelnut industries. This is especially important for us here in that the Australian association has just commenced a significant research programme and we hope to benefit from this work.

Around 40 attendees, split between researchers and growers, participated in the event, which included conference sessions and orchard visits.

While at the conference Les gave a presentation on the status of the New Zealand industry.

Key Highlights

Research Collaboration and Opportunities

HGA secured a $2 million, five-year AgriFutures grant for research into the Australian hazelnut industry, now one year underway. There are opportunities for New Zealand to benefit from this research, though local application would require investment.

HGANZ (New Zealand) is considering becoming an “Allied Member” of HGA for a modest subscription to further cement our relationship with our Australian cousins.

Joint conferences between the two countries are also a possibility.

Australian Hazelnut Industry Update

The Australian industry is expanding, with about 600 hectares (200,000 trees) and 580 tonnes produced in 2024, against a domestic consumption of 4,000 tonnes (most imported from Turkey).

Orchards are mostly small with a similar size range to New Zealand orchards, but larger, vertically integrated operations are emerging with up to 10,000 trees, selling directly to consumers, hospitality and manufacturers.

There are no dedicated wholesale processor/marketing entities, although some larger growers buy inshell nuts from smaller growers.

Mechanisation is increasing, with modern harvesting and processing equipment being adopted.

The industry faces challenges such as climate suitability (e.g., Ferrero Group’s withdrawal from Narrandera due to climate issues) and biosecurity threats, but also opportunities in consumer demand and industry support.

Research Programme

The research is guided by the “Australian Hazelnut 2030 Strategic Blueprint,” focusing on eight priorities: quality, profitability, consumer value, plant protection, sustainability, industry vibrancy, technology transfer, and communication. The Blueprint can be viewed at: https://agrifutures.com.au/product/australian-hazelnut-2030-strategic-blueprint/

Key projects include crop load management (yield estimation via a smartphone app), nutrition and irrigation, benchmarking frameworks, spatial mapping of orchards, sustainability frameworks, drying standards, and disease management.

Some projects, such as benchmarking and spatial mapping, are directly relevant to New Zealand, where similar data is lacking. Some project outcomes will include proprietary software which may have a cost to transfer the technology to New Zealand. Others will report scientific results which should be available to us via project reports.

Industry Presentations and Technology

Presentations covered precision agriculture (drones, bio-fertilisers), sucker management, plant/soil health, pest management (including biological controls), and advances in AI and robotics for orchards.

Orchard Visits

Hazelbrae

4,500 irrigated trees on 30.5 hectares south of Launceston. Trees planted include:

· Tokolyi/Brownfield Cosford (TBC) an Australian developed cultivar;

· Lewis as a polleniser; and,

· Barcelona as a polleniser.

The owner claimed 42 tonnes was harvested in 2025 which equates to 9.33kg/tree. Trees were planted 6m between rows and 6m between trees.

Archie’s Hazelnut

11,000 irrigated trees on 42.0 hectares planted in 2018, 2019 and 2021 north of Launceston. The orchard is on rolling country with little to no shelter.

To view photos from the Tasmania trip, please click on the link

https://hazelnut-growers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/Summary-of-Report-on-2025-Australian-Hazelnut-Growers-Association-Conference-in-Tasmania-1-Decd-2025-V1.pdf

Conclusion

The report highlights the value of ongoing collaboration between New Zealand and Australian hazelnut industries, the benefits of participating in research programmes, and the importance of adopting new technologies and industry practices. It also identifies opportunities for joint initiatives and the need for New Zealand to develop its own industry data and frameworks to fully leverage these opportunities.

Another update from the Turkiye hazelnut industry about prices and production after the big frosts in April:

https://www.freshplaza.com/asia/article/9787651/turkey-forecasts-36-y-o-y-drop-in-hazelnut-crop/?utm_medium=email

And from Australia, there is a report on the benefits and costs of bringing in new genetic material to improve the industry. One of the bigger hazelnut operations, Caboor Farms, has imported five new varieties (they’re not saying which ones) and expect to start selling these from 2028.

https://agrifutures.com.au/product/the-business-case-for-accessing-superior-hazelnut-genetics

The Organic Hazelnut Collective received funding to promote their hazelnuts and revamped their website.

About Us

I just wanted to give you all a heads up on a rather distressing last 10 days we have had at the Barrowclough property.  Our dog Poppy loves hazelnuts, as I am sure many of yours do also.  She has been cracking them in her teeth and eating them for 9 years without any problems.  However about 10 days ago, she must have ingested one in shell without cracking it first.  We did not see this.  She started to get unwell and presented as if she had a gastro bug.  Vomiting and no appetite and worse, she wouldn’t drink water either.  So after 3 trips to the vet on consecutive days and IV support for hydration,   they finally diagnosed the problem by tracing a radioactive pill which stopped moving through her digestive tract at the small intestine.  There was something blocking her intestine.  Either a growth (possibly cancer) or a foreign object.  She was very unwell at this point and there was a substantial risk she would not survive the surgery.  We had no choice, she wasn’t going to survive without it.  So the wonderful vets at Lincoln opened her up only to find an undigested intact hazelnut in shell blocking her intestine.  They removed it, the radioactive pill and 10 cm’s of her intestine and sewed her up.  Fortunately she has come through that major life saving surgery and is on the mend.

So a cautionary tale.  Poppy is a small dog, Westie cross Poodle, but has been eating hazelnuts successfully for a long time.  Never in our wildest dreams would we think that this could happen to her.  So if your dog also loves hazelnuts, be careful.  I expect the Vet bill will wipe out next years orchard profit!  But we are so relieved to still have her with us.

Regards

Peter