Ferry transport adds costs for Matakana avocado orchard
Opureora Orchard operates an 8-hectare avocado block on Matakana Island in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty, where transporting fruit to the mainland accounts for up to 20% of business costs.
The orchard occupies 8 hectares of the 10-hectare Opureora 1B7B3 land block and has around 800 avocado trees. The Māori freehold land is owned and governed by Opureora 1B7B3 Land Trust, while orchard operations are managed through a separate business structure. The orchard was established following an 18-year joint venture lease agreed in 2004 with an orchard business from Katikati. According to trustee Pania Wilson, the location was selected partly because Matakana Island can be up to three degrees warmer than Katikati. The joint venture ended in 2023, when management of the orchard returned to the landowners.
Avocados, blueberries, corn, and kiwifruit are among the main crops commercially produced on Matakana Island. Orchard manager Raatu Samuels oversees the avocado operation and works with one to two local contractors for orchard maintenance. Professional contractors from the mainland have been commissioned for the current harvest. Fruit is transported from Matakana Island to Ōmokoroa using the Matakana Ferry II ferry and barge service.
"This travel accounts for up to 20% of our business costs, but we have no choice if that's the only way to get product off the Island and into the marketplace," Wilson said. Discussions have taken place about collective investment in a dedicated ferry service, although the current focus remains on orchard operations. During the off-season, management activities include pruning and weeding.
Matakana Island is approximately 20km long and 3km wide. It includes 2023 hectares of farm and orchard land on the inner harbour and 4047 hectares of forest-covered coastal land facing the South Pacific. Combined with nearby Rangiwaea Island, the area has a population of more than 300 people.
