YOUR INDUSTRY
PANDEMIC PROMPTS PESTO PRODUCER TO GO-LOCAL Words by Elaine Fisher
Southern Fresh grows basil both inside and outside
The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have prompted Levin pesto company, Genoese Foods Ltd, to source its basil from New Zealand instead of Fiji. The shift has not only helped to retain staff, but has benefitted Cambridge salad, vegetable and herb grower, Southern Fresh Group, too. Genoese had previously flown in basil for its pesto from Fiji, but co-owner Andrew Parkin says the pandemic and the 2020 lockdowns made it clear the company would need to secure a local supply. “We had been sourcing basil from our own Fiji farm since the early 1990s. The climate is conducive to basil growing as it is warm and temperate, meaning the crop can be grown and harvested for a far longer part of the year than in New Zealand. “However, it had become more difficult in terms of biosecurity and sustainability as well as the costs – both monetary and environmental – to airfreight a very light, air-filled crop that takes up a lot of room. Supply continuity was also put under significant pressure when Covid-19 first emerged,” says Andrew.
28 NZGROWER : NOVEMBER 2021
Aware of the pressures on the Fijian basil supply, Genoese had already begun conducting trials with several New Zealand growers with the idea of complementing the quantities from Fiji. “Southern Fresh Foods was one of those growers,” Andrew says. “When Covid hit, they were well placed to be able to scale up what they were growing for us. We then made the decision to close the Fiji operation.” Forming the relationship with Southern Fresh was crucial for Genoese. Without a secure basil supply, Genoese’s ability to operate would have been severely impacted and placed jobs in jeopardy, says Andrew.
SOUTHERN FRESH HAS BEEN GROWING BASIL FOR
20 YEARS
