Shell be right: The proof’s in the peanut
Region leads push to make peanut butter 100% Kiwi
Northland could become the home of Kiwi-grown peanuts as the first official trial harvest wraps up. Pic’s Peanut Butter founder Bruce “Pic” Picot is hopeful that outcomes of the Northland crop will bring him one step closer to a 100 per cent New Zealand-made spread.
Northland’s sub-tropical climate is the main reason it’s been picked as a potential location.
“That’s what Northland has to offer, it’s got good warm soil temperatures and very friable soil,” said Picot.
The company currently uses peanuts from Australia and Brazil for its spread, but the Covid-19 pandemic has interrupted imports over the past few years. “With the delays in shipping and increasing costs of shipping, it’s been quite a challenge,” said Picot.
The nuts are growing in five locations: two farms in Te Kōpuru, two on Māori land near Kai Iwi Lakes and Awanui, and one farm near Kaingaroa.
The $91,320 project is led by Picot Productions and the harvest of field trial peanut crops in Northland finished this month, looking into the feasibility of commercially growing the nuts in New Zealand.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is contributing more than $59,000 through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund and research expertise is being provided by Plant & Food Research. The coming spring season will see the number of sites expand to seven and the nuts will be tested for taste and quality.
Northand Inc acting chief executive Vaughan Cooper said establishing a peanut industry in
Northland could create a range of benefits.
“Not only would peanut crops provide an economic boost, but the plants themselves also restore the soil and put nitrogen back in, creating a richer environment for the next crop in the cycle,” said Cooper.
If initial indications are proven correct, Northand Inc believes it will provide confidence that peanut growing is the right move for Northland.
The venture has yielded 20kg of hi-oleic peanuts and four jars of peanut butter from the first Northland crop. One of the four jars was sold at a Trade Me Charity auction for $3150, with all proceeds going to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Far North nonprofit Papa Honez One Whānau At A Time was nominated by Pic’s social media community to win a jar.
The other two jars were saved for display in Nelson at Pic’s Peanut Butter World and Nelson Provincial Museum. When run at scale it’s estimated the crops could produce enough nuts for 4500 jars of peanut butter per hectare, but Pic wants to double this. “I guess ultimately the proof will be in the peanuts,” he said.