As one of New Zealand’s leading fresh produce companies trading under the internationally recognised Fernmark brand, Pukekohe-based Balle Bros is continuing a farming tradition that began in 1949 when Bernie and Norah Balle grew potatoes in the fertile soils that surround the Bombay Hills.
Nowadays, seven Balle siblings, led by 46-year-old Dacey Balle, jointly own and operate a nationwide operation that covers 3100ha, employs 300 fulltime and 170 seasonal staff and supplies mostly potatoes, carrots and onions for domestic and export markets.
From humble beginnings, Balle Bros has evolved into a vertically integrated business with downstream investment in packing, processing, marketing and distribution. In 2013, the family also bought the Mr Chips business, which employs about 130 staff and produces about 30,000 tonnes of french fries and chips each year from an East Tamaki factory valued at almost $14m.
The most valuable horticultural land is around Pukekohe where Balle Bros cultivate 800ha and where many valuations have doubled over the past three years. The Pukekohe land bank includes 25ha of bare land with subdivision potential worth $14m. However, the company’s most valuable single horticultural asset is a 17ha food processing and storage facility worth $15 million.
Further south near Matamata the siblings crop 700ha and have a huge warehouse, overseen by eldest brother Maurice, which can store 30,000 tonne of bulk potatoes or carrots. Another 300ha near Ohakune is harvested for carrots, and in the South Island near Ashburton seed potatoes are produced on 300ha of land.
About half the company’s produce is exported, including some 30,000 tonnes of red and brown onions to Europe each year, and Dacey Balle – who lives in a $6.4m Remuera property – says market access and maintaining relevant on the international stage are two big challenges for the industry.
Another challenge is maintaining access to water supplies. In a submission to the Ministry for the Environment over amendments to the Resource Management Act, the company said it was a “struggle to understand how food production can be considered extractive when fresh produce is fundamental for good health and survival.” Furthermore, it believes land use restrictions could affect the sustainability of commercial vegetable production.
In addition to horticulture the family has also developed a sizeable dairy operation near Mercer where 1000ha has been transformed over the past seven years into what real estate agents describe as a ‘world-class farm on a grand scale.’ Kopuera Dairies, which was listed for sale in late 2017, includes three individual dairy units that milk 2700 cows and produce 1.1m kilograms of milk solids worth $7m annually.
While the ownership of the business is equally divided between seven brothers, the company employs a total of 20 family members and lives by the creed that custodianship means nurturing the land “so that it is a safe and healthy source of food for the future.”
Photo: The Post Newspaper, Franklin & North Waikato