November 29, 2017
Exotic crops grow coast jobs
Landowners on the East Coast have heard there’s more they can do with their land than grow sheep or maize.
There was a big turnout last week for the Ina Te Ora: Food Futures in Tairawhiti conference, organised by Hikurangi Enterprises.
Organising committee member Ngarangi Walker says it was a chance for people to hear from top scientists, agronomists and business people about what was possible, from growing hemp or macadamias to growing food in the lab.
She says people realise there were no easy paths to success.
"It’s about persevering. It’s about resilience, and if you believe it then that’s what gets you up in the morning and gets you through the day because there are lots of naysayers out there, people who say ‘you can’t grow tropical fruit in a place like Tairawhiti or even up north, but people, it’s what they do," Ms Walker says.
She says as well as locals the conference drew people who were looking for ways they could return home to work their whenua.
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