The 55.8ha site at Riwaka was established as a hop growing plantation in the 1960s. Photo / Supplied
The 55.8ha site at Riwaka was established as a hop growing plantation in the 1960s. Photo / Supplied
The fortunes of a horticultural property at Motueka seem to be turning full circle production-wise.
Years ago the property grew hops, then it was converted to apple production but soon it may revert to growing hops again.
The 55.8ha site at Riwaka was established as a hop growing plantation in the 1960s, then bought out by fruit and vegetable producer/marketer ENZAFruit New Zealand International Ltd in the early 2000s. ENZA smartly converted it into an apple orchard.
However, the apple producer is now selling the land and its big processing plant buildings, at 657 Main Rd, Riwaka.
The entire operation is being marketed for sale by negotiation, through Bayleys Motueka salesperson Leon Johnston.
Johnston sees a strong possibility that, due to the boom in craft beers, the property will be converted once again; and it's highly likely to revert to hop production.
"However, any transition of the site back to a large-scale hop garden would be a detailed undertaking," adds Johnston.
"Apple trees would have to be removed and replanted with hops, and much of the substantial crop area would require new trussing and netting," he says.
ENZAFruit New Zealand converted it to an apple orchard in the early 2000s. Photo / Supplied
"Hop gardens can deliver their first crop a year after planting, although the harvest is minimal. Hop vines reach maturity and deliver on-going maximum yields after three-to-four seasons. A standard hop crop is harvested between mid-February and the end of March."
Johnston says building infrastructure comprises about 1309sq m of high-stud warehousing, administrative office space, and a covered storage bunker.
"The 740sq m shed complex, which previously housed boilers, drying kilns and hop balers, remains intact and in relatively good condition. Access to the warehousing areas is through multiple wide sliding-door portals designed to allow free-flowing entry and exit for commercial-sized agricultural cropping vehicles," he says.
"The plant also includes substantial office space, a staff lunchroom and recreation area, and bathroom amenities."
Johnston describes a productive landholding developed across six titles. These are segregated into some 20-individual rectangular-shaped blocks, allowing for efficient plant maintenance throughout the year and mechanical harvesting at the end of the growing season.
"Well-formed and maintained wide dirt roads connect all quadrants of the property. The strategic subdivision of plots allows for specific hop varieties to be planted in individual fields – thereby enabling a broad selection of hops to market demands.
"It is quite common now among craft brewers for one beer alone to contain four or five different hop varieties.
Buildings include high-stud warehousing, office space and a storage bunker. Photo / Supplied
"In fact, the Golden Spiral Indian pale ale, produced by Garage Project brewery in Wellington, has 21 different hop additions in its recipe."
The upper South Island's 17 hop crops are spread across a range of varieties — each with their own unique flavour profile — to supply the international demand from scores of breweries.
Among the Motueka and Nelson-grown hops making a name for the crop internationally, include: Chinook, Fuggle, Green Bullet, Pacific Gem, Sticklebract and Willamette.
New Zealand Hops Ltd CEO Doug Donelan says the country's hop industry is in a growth phase, with 95 per cent of the crop grown on a contract basis and 85 per cent of the crop destined for export markets.
"This year, NZ Hop Cooperatives members, most of whom are based in the Motueka region, produced 721,959kg of hops," he adds.
"The big markets for craft beer are the USA, UK and Europe - but we're also seeing growth in Japan and emerging markets such as Vietnam and China."
