Bumper biodiesel crop, harvest well under way

27 January 2012

Bumper biodiesel crop, harvest well under way

With about half its 2012 autumn oilseed rape crop (OSR) harvested, renewable fuel producer Biodiesel New Zealand says its farmer suppliers are achieving excellent yields.

More than 1,000 hectares of rapeseed has been cropped so far, with many South and North Canterbury growers recording yields of between four and five tonne a hectare. That compares to previous averages of slightly less than three tonne a hectare. In the North Island, one Manawatu cropping farmer has reported a reading on his header of over seven tonne. In Otago and Southland, farms are reporting yields of between three and four tonne a hectare despite the December-January drought.

The company expects to set its offer price for autumn-sown OSR (2013 harvest) in the coming weeks and will look to increase the area of crop under contract. Seedbed preparation and getting the brassica established before temperatures drop are important factors in final yields and the company encourages its contract growers to sow before the end of March.

“It has been an excellent year for crops in many parts of the country,” says Ash Pace, Biodiesel New Zealand’s Farm Advisory Manager. “But I do think with the OSR yields up to 50% above what we had been averaging, there’s also been an additional dividend from the research done to identify and supply the most appropriate cultivars, sharing knowledge between farmers and the agronomy support they’re getting from us and our merchant partners.”

Biodiesel New Zealand is evaluating a number of new OSR varieties and expects to make a decision about which of these should be made available to growers following the 2013 harvest.

Biodiesel New Zealand is a Solid Energy business. Its Biogold™ fuel is made from waste cooking oil and locally grown oilseed rape crops. The company has a seed storage and oil extraction facility at Rolleston, near Christchurch. See www.biogold.co.nz for more information.

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