West Coast residents are reeling with the death of blueberry farm pioneer Phil McLennan who succumbed to his injuries after a motor accident on the outskirts of Ikamatua on Monday.
McLennan, a well known horticulturist and farmer in the Grey Valley, died in hospital from injuries sustained when his four-wheel farm bike and a car collided near the Waiuta turn-off at Ikamatua, on State Highway 7.
He was the pioneer of blueberry farming on the West Coast and was a well known and liked identity of the Grey Valley community.
McLennan farmed blueberries and tayberries on his Ikamatua farm for many years and was a major supplier of blueberries to supermarket chains, ice-cream and food companies throughout New Zealand, in addition to a roadside stall at the farm.
![Phil McLennan sorting blueberries on his Ikamatua farm. Photo / Greymouth Star](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/SR47IVYRURZSVYM5CWHNDKBWYA.jpg?auth=76ceb59f74f3d42b571f16117e8c84bae8599e91d72f1abc1bb7e263aa0d02a1&width=16&height=22&quality=70&smart=true)