The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Central Otago climate suits growth of aronia berries

By Yvonne O'Hara
Otago Daily Times·
6 Nov, 2018 10:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Alexandra nurseryman Barrie Mackie (left) and dental lecturer Ross Meldrum. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara

Alexandra nurseryman Barrie Mackie (left) and dental lecturer Ross Meldrum. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara

Aronia berries, also known as black chokeberries, could become a commercially viable crop for Central Otago in the next few years.

Alexandra nurseryman Barrie Mackie and dental lecturer Ross Meldrum, of Alexandra and Dunedin, have been growing trial plots of the fruit for the past 10 years.

The volume of berries grown and the aronia plants' liking for the Central Otago climate has mean the two men have reached the point where they have set up the Berryactives company and website, ready to sell freeze-dried berry powder online.

They established an early trial plot on Meldrum's Alexandra property about 10 years ago.

Two additional, larger blocks were planted at Mackie's property about six years ago, to determine if the plants could survive in Central Otago's conditions.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And they do.

Read more horticulture stories here.

They love the heat and the UV rays, producing high levels of the antioxidant anthocyanin.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mackie said the original seed came from overseas and early plants were bought from a South Island nursery.

About 6000 plants were also micro-propagated from tissue samples.

The crop volume had increased each year and had reached three to four tonnes annually.

Meldrum said although they conducted freezing trials in his shed, the increasing volume meant they contracted a freeze-drying business in Christchurch to carry out the process and turn the berries into a powder, packaged and ready for shipment.

Discover more

Farmers urged to consider partial kiwifruit conversion

22 Oct 10:30 PM
Business

Cannabis startup lands Auckland's first cultivation licence

30 Oct 11:39 PM
Business

More migrant workers ease kiwifruit labour shortage

06 Nov 06:56 PM

Advocates assist Central Otago's Pacific workers

06 Nov 09:30 PM

The powder could be added to smoothies, baking and other dishes.

''It seems Central Otago has a wonderful synergy of factors to bring the anthocyanin levels up,'' Mackie said.

''The big thing with the fruit is its phytochemical make-up and its bioactivity,'' Meldrum said.

''Plant and Food Research had tested the fruit and found the total anthocyanin content [of the Central Otago fruit] was one of the highest in any fruit.''

He said the plants thrived in Alexandra, and produced the high levels in the skin to protect themselves from UV rays. They also produced tannin, which meant they were not susceptible to pests and diseases found in the region.

Meldrum said the berry had been popular in America and Europe as a health-food item.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The region provided an ideal growing environment with high diurnal temperature shifts, cold winters of sufficient length to initiate spring bloom, low humidity to limit potential pathogens, high UV light to enhance polyphenol (anthocyanin) levels and free-draining soils.

The next step was to increase the volume of fruit.

- Southern Rural Life

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Forestry leader says Tasman hit by growing trees – not slash

The Country

Motueka farmer describes moment his wife got swept away in floodwaters

The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Forestry leader says Tasman hit by growing trees – not slash
The Country

Forestry leader says Tasman hit by growing trees – not slash

Locals across Tasman say the flood damage has been worsened by forestry slash.

14 Jul 10:35 PM
Motueka farmer describes moment his wife got swept away in floodwaters
The Country

Motueka farmer describes moment his wife got swept away in floodwaters

14 Jul 07:08 PM
'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim
The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

14 Jul 04:21 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP