Garlic demand growing

Rising domestic demand for garlic is spelling good times for Marlborough's two growers, with both planning to increase plantings this season.

Phoenix Garlic and Piquant Garlic hope to begin planting in the next two weeks, after wet ground has dried out enough to allow the work to go ahead.

Phoenix business manager John Murphy said it planned to increase its crop by about 10 hectares to 60ha.

"That's what the market is demanding in the coming year."

Most of the company's garlic, like that of Piquant Garlic, went to the domestic market, where demand was growing, Mr Murphy said.

"New Zealand consumers do seem to be turning more to natural products. We've been expanding over the last three or four years."

However, he said the company, which is jointly owned by members of the Murphy and de Castro families, was likely to reach its ideal crop level this season, so no increase was planned for next year.

Piquant co-owner Alan Jones said the company hoped to increase plantings by 2ha to a total of 20ha.

He believed that the increase in domestic demand was partly due to consumers turning away from imported Chinese garlic.

"They don't know how it's grown or what's in it. People are definitely going against the Chinese stuff.