Regional Overview 15 Farming in Hawke’s Bay Garth O. EYLES 7 Montpelier Drive, Taradale, Napier 4112, New Zealand [email protected] Abstract Once flood control systems were established on the Hawke’s Bay’s diverse physical environments have plains, pastoral farming was able to proceed at speed. enabled a wide range of farming enterprises to prosper. This involved drainage of flat land areas and the This paper provides a summary of the physical clearing of forested hill country. Significant pioneers environments and the major farming industries in the were Danes and Norwegians who cleared the 70 Mile region. It identifies changes since the last Grasslands Bush in southern Hawke’s Bay. Conference held in the area in 1999 and some of the On the plains, Māori were exporting vegetables and issues that will need addressing in the future as climate grains by the mid 1840s and, even before European changes. settlement, many pās had their groves of peaches grown from stones accepted as currency from trading vessels. Keywords: Hawke’s Bay landforms, climate, soils, Settlers tried unsuccessfully to grow hops, tobacco and farming systems, pastoral farming, sheep, cattle, sugar beet but succeeded with fruit trees and viticulture. dairying, cash cropping, orcharding, viticulture, Wool and, from 1884, frozen meat became the staple forestry, the future. agriculture products from the region. Introduction Climate Past conference introductions have defined Hawke’s The word ‘sunny’ has become synonymous with Bay as being the Hawke’s Bay Land District. For Hawke’s Bay with most areas having over 2,000 hours ease of data collation, I have taken the area to be that per year of sunshine. Our climate is influenced largely of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. This covers by the landforms and the predominantly westerly air the Wairoa, Hastings, Central Hawke’s Bay District streams crossing New Zealand. It is a region of highly Councils and Napier City Council with slivers of variable and sporadic rainfall (Figure 1), and large and Taupo and Rangitikei District Councils; a total area occasionally sudden temperature variations. of 1.4 m ha. The region is bounded on the east by the Hawke’s Bay is less windy than most other coastal Pacific Ocean and on the west by the axial ranges of areas of New Zealand, experiencing frequent very light the Ruahines, Tararuas, Kawekas, Kaimanawas and the winds. Consequently, a large number of frosts occur Ureweras. Elevations range from sea level to 1,724 m during the cooler months of the year. Much of the a.s.l. in the Kawekas with farmland rising to around 730 rain in Hawke’s Bay occurs when the wind directions m a.s.l. on the Rangitaiki plateau and 900 m a.s.l. on the are predominantly easterly or southerly. Rainfall is Ngamatea plateau. Eighty percent of the region is hill- extremely variable in spring and summer when westerly or mountain-land with only 12% flat to gently rolling. winds prevail. In most years, low rainfall results in Climates reflect this landform diversity with rainfalls droughts at some locations. The high-country areas are ranging from over 2,000 mm/year in the ranges to less exposed to frequent gales, with snow showers during than 800 mm/year from just north of Napier to south cold winter southerlies. of Waipukurau, including the Heretaunga and Takapau High-intensity, short-duration storms occur plains. These physical factors reflect the wide range in somewhere in the region on average about each five farming systems that have developed and the potential years. An example is a storm that hit the Glengarry for even greater versatility. area, inland from Napier, in 2018 during which 325 mm of rain fell in one day, scouring out the waterways and Brief Early History depositing silt over the lower terraces. About every 50 Hawke’s Bay has a long history of Māori settlement years a major cyclone hits the region – the most recent with the dominant group being Ngāti Kahungunu. being Cyclone Bola in 1988. European settlement was unplanned, beginning with The dry north-westerlies, the unreliable spring whalers and traders buying flax from the local Māori, rainfall, periodic droughts and cyclonic storms, and followed by pastoralist settlers. The Port of Napier was the risk of frost on flat land areas provide challenges to separated from the inland production areas by lagoons the development of intensive agricultural systems such and rampant rivers, making inland development difficult as orcharding and viticulture. Snow is generally not a until railway and roading systems were established. major problem to farming. ISSN 2463-2872 (Print) ISSN 2463-2880 (Online) https://doi.org/10.33584/jnzg.2019.81.416 16 Journal of New Zealand Grasslands 81: 15-20 (2019) Figure 1 Hawke’s Bay annual median total rainfall 1981–2010. (Reproduced with permission from: Chappell n.d.) Figure 1. Hawke’s Bay annual median total rainfall 1981–2010. (Reproduced with permission from: Chappell n.d.) Landforms and Soils Plate tectonics have played a large part in the formation of Hawke’s Bay. Over most of the region, the land comprises a series of hills and valleys running parallel to the coast. These have been formed as the Pacific plate pushes under the Australian plate, folding the sedimentary deposits as they are pushed inland. These hills comprise layers of mudstone, Eyles, Farming in Hawke’s Bay sandstone, siltstone, conglomerates and limestones, some of which17 are broken and shattered making them very unstable. Landforms and Soils Plate tectonics have played a large part in the formation of Hawke’s Bay (Figure 2). Over most of the region, the land comprises a series of hills and valleys running parallel to the coast. These have been formed as the Pacific plate pushes under the Australian plate, folding the sedimentary deposits as they are pushed inland. These hills comprise layers Figure 2 The crustal movement that shapes the Hawke’s Bay landforms (Reproduced under of mudstone, sandstone, Figure 2. licenceThe crustalfrom: Lee etmovement al 2011). that shapes the Hawke’s Bay landforms (Reproduced under siltstone, conglomerates and limestones, some of which licence from: Lee et al 2011). are broken and shattered making them very unstable. with the most common being: sheep, cattle and deer The central mountain rangesThe comprise central grey-wacke, mountain breeding ranges compriseand finishing; greywack cereale, cropping;much of process which is shattered and unstable, much of which is shattered andproviding unstable, largeproviding quantities cropping; of gravelsmall-seed to production;the river dairying;systems orcharding; in the central area. Windblown loess, large quantities of gravel to thefrom river the systems end ofin thethe lastviticulture glaciation, and forestrycovers (Figure most 3). landforms. Central North Island volcanism central area. Windblown loess, hasfrom hadthe end a major of the last impact, With with the andesitic introduction ashes of Crown covering Research western Institutes areas in the central area and glaciation, covers most landforms. Central North Island in 1992, there was a withdrawal of agricultural science volcanism has had a major impact,rhyolitic with andesitic Taupo ashes ashes centres in the from central the region and northern(except for area.horticulture).North This of State Highway 5, most covering western areas in the centralterraces area and rhyolitic rolling countryhas reduced have the aability mantle for farmers of volcanic to interact ash. regularly On the steeper slopes this mantle Taupo ashes in the central and becomesnorthern area. very North discontinuous. of with scientistsPost and, European in my opinion, development has had a negative on these steeplands have seen most State Highway 5, most terracesof andthe rollingash being country eroded impact off, onleaving development. the underlying However, the Tertiary establishment sedimentary rocks (generally have a mantle of volcanic ash.more On the fertile) steeper slopes,upon whichof LandWISE a variety in 2002of soils near haveHastings formed. by Dan MostBloomer of the Heretaunga Plains is this mantle becomes very discontinuous. Post European aimed to work with lead farmers, researchers and development on these steeplandsunderlain has seen most by river-borneof the industry pumice to understand, from the develop 230 ADand shareTaupo knowledge eruption. Some remains on the ash being eroded off, leaving surface,the underlying with Tertiary the rest of1– how2 m technology beneath andthe bettersurface. processes, In the especially central in and southern areas, tephric sedimentary rocks (generally moreloess fertile) mantles upon whichmost rollingprecision landscapes technologies, and could older improve terraces. farm businesses. a variety of soils have formed. Most of the Heretaunga Seventeen years on this organisation has spread Plains are underlain by river-borneIn the pumice summer from dry the environments,nationwide, emphasisingpans provide the benefits a limitation of access to on-water storage in summer and to 230 AD Taupo eruption. Some drainageremains on inthe winter.surface, Allfarm this applied leads research. to a very variable soil landscape, comprising soils with high with the rest 1–2 m beneath the surface. In the central A brief review of each of the farming sectors follows. and southern areas, tephric loessP retentionmantles most to rolling those withThe stocklow Pnumbersretention, and productionfrom free figures draining listed to arepoor draining, from naturally landscapes and older terraces. fertile to infertile. Soilsfrom on the hill 2017 country Agricultural are Productiongenerally Statistics, very variable June due to periodic erosion In the summer dry environments,events pans that provide have resulta 2017ed in(final) many (Stats different NZ 2017) aged except soils where forming otherwise on the same landform. limitation to water storage in summer and to drainage in stated. winter. All this leads to a very Altogethervariable soil landscape, this makes a fascinating environment for the development and intensification of comprising soils with high phosphorusagriculture.