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Nursery capacity was expanded from 3,000 to 10,000 plants in 2015/2016 and will reach 30,000 plant capacity in 2017 to meet the increased demand for macadamia trees.
Macadamia nut demand continuously outstrips supply with excellent prices enjoyed by the very few NZ growers producing quality macadamia kernel. The gap between what NZ produces and imports continues to increase, providing great opportunities for new macadamia growers now and well into the future.
A successful entrepreneur who runs her own insurance company – Life Broker Services in Gisborne – Vanessa is best known in Māori business circles as the Nut Lady on account of her macadamia interests. Together with her partner, Rod Husband, she owns a large organic orchard at Torere near Opotiki and a small de-husking plant operated by Rod in Gisborne.
Torere Macadamias has had Activate Tairawhiti help to grow the business and progress plans for a regional co-operative, as it targets 50ha in macadamia trees here in 10 years — to rival Waikato as the country’s biggest producer.
Vanessa Hayes and Wiremu Kerekere (grand-uncle) swapped shares in whanau land at Torere for a home in Gisborne in 1981. Vanessa then incorporated Torere Macadamias Ltd (TML) in 1999 to lease and mortgage the block for macadamia development. Variety trial plantings began in 1996 and a quarantine facility and nursery was built in 2001 to import, trial, propagate and assess the best varieties suitable for New Zealand conditions.
