- Hon Nicola Grigg
The Government is backing a project to squeeze more value out of New Zealand blackcurrants, Associate Minister for Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.
"We're investing in a two-year project with PharmaZen Limited to add value to our blackcurrant industry by piloting a processing facility in Canterbury which will allow growers to transform waste into a high value product, creating additional revenue streams for the industry.
"This high value product, known as pomace, can be extracted during juice processing and is high in anthocyanins - an antioxidant that gives the berries their rich blue colour and can be used in food and health supplements.
"Right now, blackcurrant products such as blackcurrant concentrate and frozen fruit contribute nearly seven percent of New Zealand's total export value in processed fruit categories.
"By creating onshore processing capacity, this project aims to take the industry to the next level, while improving the sustainability of the sector - which is exciting for our growers," Ms Grigg says.
Blackcurrants New Zealand Inc, the industry representative body, will help PharmaZen source a reliable supply of fruit as they scale up their processing capacity.
"A fully scaled, expanded facility would increase processing jobs in the Canterbury region and help retain high-value regional jobs.
"Being able to process onshore will help build long-term resilience for the sector, as PharmaZen builds its international brand and experiments with developing value-added products," Ms Grigg says.
The Government is contributing $276,000 over two years to the $690,000 project from the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund.
"This is just one way our Government is supporting our horticulture industry to thrive as we work towards our goal of doubling the value of exports within 10 years."
