Research finds more Māori land being converted to horticulture

More Māori land is being used for growing commercial fruit and vegetables, according to a new report commissioned by Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ).

The Snapshot of Māori in horticulture 2024 research found the gross output from Māori horticulture during 2024 was $305 million, up from $220.5 million in 2019. 

While horticulture currently comprises just over one per cent – 5,715 hectares – of Māori farmland, this is growing steadily.

The amount of Māori land in horticulture has increased by 50.4 per cent since 2017 and now represents about seven per cent of total fruit and vegetables land in New Zealand.

Kate Scott, chief executive of HortNZ, says this figure is notable, given that overall, there has been a decline in the amount of land in horticulture.

“One of the key priorities in the Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan is increasing Māori-owned land in high value horticulture, so it is heartening to see the data trending in this direction.

“While horticulture currently comprises a small proportion of Māori land use, Māori involvement in horticulture is diverse and expanding, from Māori individuals and businesses to iwi and their commercial arms.

“Currently, Māori entities have large tracts of pastoral and forestry land, with a smaller proportion of land in horticulture. There is an ongoing drive to transition suitable land to horticulture, as the opportunity arises, due to its relatively high value compared to more traditional agriculture uses.

“This shift to horticulture offers economic advantages for Māori landowners, generating employment and overall increased land value compared to alternative uses of the land.”

Currently, the main driver for Māori horticulture is kiwifruit, with a gross output of $228.5 million in 2024. Māori own 12.2 percent of kiwifruit land in New Zealand, with close to 2,100 hectares.

Māori also account for a sizeable proportion, 10.5 percent, of onion land ownership in New Zealand with gross output increasing from $10.2 million to $15.3 million between 2019 and 2024.

Other crops include apples, citrus, nuts, squash, potatoes and other vegetables. Avocados are a growing area with several major avocado development projects on Māori land recently completed or underway.

Over 3,000 Māori employees work in fruit and vegetable growing operations across New Zealand, 13 per cent of the total workforce. The report estimates that Māori kiwifruit enterprises directly support close to 1,000 roles.

There are a significant number of Provincial Growth Fund (PFG) projects involving tangata whenua with over 753 hectares receiving funding for horticulture development – a mixture of completed and contracted projects.

“As horticulture presents significant benefits in terms of economic development, a number of Māori entities intend to develop pastoral land into horticulture,” says Ms Scott.

“The future of Māori participation in New Zealand's horticulture industry is growing and is full of potential. As we look ahead, the sector will continue to grow and evolve, driven by the increasing involvement of Māori entities and the strategic transition of land to horticultural use which, can have positive impacts on the environment.”

The research was undertaken by Business and Economic Research Limited (BERL). It updates the previous completed BERL research, Māori in Horticulture (2020).

Click here to view the report.