Taranaki-grown garlic will be back on shelves at New Plymouth New World from mid-February, marking another milestone in the region’s efforts to de-risk land use diversification. The garlic has been grown as part of the Branching Out land use diversification project, led by Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki, the regional development agency.

The winter-grown garlic has now been harvested and graded, with a strong proportion achieving premium grade. Early indications show excellent bulb and clove size, reinforcing confidence in both the region’s growing conditions and the crop’s commercial potential.

“We’re really pleased with both the quantity of premium-grade garlic and the size of the bulbs and cloves this season,” says Michelle Bauer, Project Lead, Branching Out at Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki. “It’s a great result for our trial programme.”

Garlic was selected as one of the initial crop rotation trials under Branching Out due to strong domestic demand, proven growing suitability, and the presence of processing capability within the region.

A key enabler has been engagement witha local processor of garlic supplying food service and retail nationwide. The alignment between regional growing capability and in-region processing provides a strong foundation for a scalable garlic industry.

“One of the reasons garlic was initially selected  was the existing processing infrastructure here,” says Bauer. “When you can grow, grade, and process within the same region, you retain more value locally and reduce supply chain complexity. That’s exactly the type of full value chain opportunity Branching Out was designed to support.”

Branching Out is an award-winning land use diversification initiative led by Venture Taranaki to identify, validate, and scale high-value food and fibre opportunities for the region. By embedding product development, processing, market access and consumer trends into decision-making from the outset, the project aims to de-risk new ventures and build resilient, low-emissions value chains.

Now entering Phase 3, the project is progressing beyond trial scale and addressing the practical steps required for commercial supply - including refining agronomy, increasing production areas, and strengthening the value-chain components that connect paddock to market.

Local shoppers can look out for the latest harvest of regionally grown garlic at New Plymouth New World now.

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