BAA BAA
ASHBURTON
40 OCTOBER 2018
The new planting sees the
company become the
largest vanilla plantation
in the South Pacific, and
cements its ongoing
expansion into the United States.
Chief executive Jennifer Boggiss
says US sales have soared by
more than 300% in the past year,
and the birthday achievement sets
the company and its vanilla supply
up for a more sustainable future.
The additional planting has been
secured through a partnership with
His Majesty King Tupou VI and a
well-respected partner grower, but
not the last for the company. Boggiss
says another 50 acres will be planted
early next year, and the increase
will allow the company to support
global vanilla demands – which has
seen international record prices over
the past three years due to natural
increased demand and climatic
issues affecting supply. She says100
acres is a significant increase on
the standard plantation size of
eight acres, demonstrating Heilala’s
commitment to supporting additional
Tongan communities. “The growth
will result in increased employment
- particularly of local women - in the
small Pacific Island. Heilala has a
goal for 200 women to be employed
in the vanilla industry in Tonga by
2022. This year has been a big
year - not just for us as a brand, but
for the people of Tonga. They have
shown their incredible resilience
following Cyclone Gita, and we now
have a solid plan in place to continue
to support and provide positive
impact for these communities in
the future. It’s been ten years since
I quit my day job as an accountant
and put 100% of my efforts and
focus into Heilala Vanilla, and we’re
excited about what the future holds
– particularly as we increase our
presence within the US market.”
Heilala Vanilla began as an aid project
in 2002, when a vanilla plantation
was established in partnership with
a local family in Vava’u, Tonga. In
2005 the first crop was harvested
and brought back to New Zealand,
and the brand was established in
2008 with a range of vanilla products.
www.heilalavanilla.com
VANILLA
New Zealand vanilla brand Heilala Vanilla has
celebrated its’ 10th birthday by completing a record
100 acres of vanilla planting in Tonga… with a gift
due in 2021 when the first new crop is harvested.
Newborn lambs have been
used to help explain career
opportunities in the agrifood
sector to Ashburton
students.
Almost 30 children from
Ashburton Intermediate School
have visited Stephen Blain’s family
farm at Ashton as part of a major
national project putting students
from 100 primary schools onto
sheep and beef farms. Funded by
the Red Meat Profit Partnership
(RMPP) and delivered by NZ
Young Farmers, the project is
aimed at finding an extra 33,000
workers for New Zealand’s red
meat sector by 2025 to replace
people who will retire or exit the
industry. “We want to get the
industry on the radar of students
and teachers, so they’re aware of
the career opportunities,” RMPP’s
Di Falconer says. Students
identified types of wool suitable
for making textiles and helped
drench sheep. “Most of them were
a bit nervous to begin with and it
was great to see them eventually
get stuck in and giving it a go,”
Blain’s partner Mary Holmes
says. “They loved the hands-on
parts of the visit. It’s a chance
to ask lots of questions about
the resources they’re studying in
class.” The farm’s main focus is
growing crops, but the property
also runs 2000 sheep and a few
beef cattle. “Students got to sit in
a modern, high-tech tractor and
see the huge silos we use to store
grain,” Holmes says. “Most of the
students aren’t from farms and
this project is a fun, interactive
way to show them the wide
variety of jobs available.”
SKIES
/www.heilalavanilla.com
