Reliable access to water more than a seasonal concern

El Niño is putting water back at the top of growers’ risk lists.

While no two events are the same, El Niño can bring hotter, drier and windier conditions to parts of the country, increasing pressure on irrigation, soil moisture, crop health and business planning.

For horticulture, that makes reliable access to water more than a seasonal concern. It is what enables growers to produce the fruit and vegetables New Zealanders rely on every day, maintain quality for export customers, support regional jobs and invest with confidence.

That reliability is becoming harder to secure. Climate variability is no longer a future risk. It is part of the operating environment growers are already managing.

Growers are used to adapting. Many are already monitoring weather and soil moisture more closely, checking irrigation systems, budgeting for tighter conditions and making decisions earlier about where water can have the greatest benefit.

Good preparation starts with a plan. That means using daily and seasonal forecasts, keeping an eye on extreme weather and fire warnings, understanding available water, and setting clear decision points based on crop stage, soil moisture, financial settings and likely yield impacts.

It also means making every drop count. Regular maintenance can reduce leaks and losses. Soil moisture sensors and plant water stress measurements can help target irrigation to the crops that need it most. In some situations, regulated deficit irrigation can be used to fully irrigate through critical crop stages while limiting water use during less sensitive periods.

These practical steps matter. They help growers get through dry periods, protect crop quality and manage costs. But on their own, they are not enough.

New Zealand also needs a more strategic approach to water security and climate adaptation. That is why sustainable and enduring water security is one of HortNZ’s 2026 election priorities.

The horticulture sector produces healthy food for New Zealanders and high-value exports for global markets, while using less than 0.1 per cent of New Zealand’s land area. HortNZ’s election manifesto identifies practical policy settings as essential if growers are to keep investing, lifting productivity and strengthening resilience.

Water sits at the heart of that. Without reliable access to water, we cannot grow fresh fruit and vegetables at the scale and consistency needed for domestic supply, export markets or regional economic growth.

A national water strategy that balances environmental sustainability with food production is long overdue.

Growers support freshwater outcomes, and many have invested heavily in more efficient irrigation, riparian planting, monitoring and farm environment planning.

What they need now is a regulatory system that recognises good practice and enables the infrastructure required for a changing climate.

That includes regional water storage, managed aquifer recharge and catchment-level planning that makes better use of water when it is plentiful, while protecting river health and supporting communities through dry periods.

Projects such as the Te Waihekeora Reservoir near Dargaville show what is possible when communities, iwi, growers and investors work together.

Capturing water when river flows are high and making it available during dry months can support horticultural development, strengthen local economies and improve resilience.

In Hawke’s Bay, interest in new water storage options for the Heretaunga Plains reflects the same reality. Productive regions need long-term certainty if they are to keep supplying food, supporting jobs and recovering from climate shocks.

These investments do not remove the need to use water carefully. They make careful use possible by giving growers more certainty, allowing better planning and reducing pressure when conditions are dry.

A more durable approach must recognise the essential role of food production alongside environmental limits.

This is not about choosing between the environment and production. It is about designing settings that deliver both: healthier freshwater systems, stronger regional communities and a secure supply of fresh, nutritious food.

The Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan sets an ambition to double the farmgate value of horticulture production by 2035.

Achieving that will require partnership between industry, Government, Māori and science, and it will require water policy that gives growers the confidence to invest in the future.

Ahead of the general election, HortNZ is asking for policy settings that cut unnecessary complexity, enable fit-for-purpose water storage and support climate adaptation across catchments. Growers cannot do this alone. They need clear national direction, timely consenting and investment settings that recognise water security as critical infrastructure for food production.

El Niño preparedness is both an immediate task and a longer-term policy test.

Growers can monitor, plan, budget and use water more efficiently. But if New Zealand wants a resilient food system, it must also build the water security that allows growers to keep producing through a more volatile climate.

Reliable water is not a luxury for horticulture. It is the foundation of climate resilience, regional prosperity and food security. The sooner New Zealand treats it that way, the better prepared we will be for the seasons ahead.