A group of Waitaki farmers have partnered with the district council to explore the potential of medicinal crops to diversify land use and boost the district’s economy.

The Waitaki Grown collaboration is conducting a trial of medicinal crops this spring, which aims to test if the diversification of land use can support and sustainably grow the district’s primary sector.

The council’s business and enterprise growth lead, Rebecca Finlay, said the group shared the common goals of “enabling our communities to thrive, our environment to flourish and our economy to grow”.

“Collaborating has seen the network expand by sharing resources and assets to create something we could not do independently, or as an organisation,” Finlay said.

Community and economic development manager Melanie Jones said this was a long-term project that could transform the primary sector, benefiting the broader community through job creation and inclusive economic growth.

The farmer group has explored a variety of options and landed on five medicinal crops.WAITAKI DISTRICT COUNCIL / SUPPLIED

“We greatly appreciate all the farmers and rural professionals we are working with who are enthusiastically contributing so much in service of the district,” Jones said.

The council said the group had been working together since September 2023, with facilitation and expert support resourced through the Government’s Better Off fund.

The farmer group explored a variety of options and landed on five medicinal crops, which research indicated should grow well in the Waitaki climate, a council spokesperson said..

“Medicinal crops have the potential to be high value ingredients or processed into a finished product as part of the wellness market, which is an emerging and rapidly growing prospect for New Zealand domestically and globally.

“The farmers and WDC see an opportunity to not only grow, but produce and manufacture locally creating new career opportunities.”

They said the council was working with producers and manufacturers to explore what capability the district had, as it looked to build networks with potential international markets.

Source - https://www.thepress.co.nz