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Can New Zealand Make Its Own Pasta.. Apparently YES!!

Can New Zealand Make Its Own Pasta.. Apparently YES!! media slide

A Wairarapa - New Zealand company is asking a question few New Zealanders have considered before: could New Zealand produce more of its own pasta?


Monty & Sons has launched a pasta range made from New Zealand-grown durum wheat, creating what is believed to be one of the country's first fully traceable paddock-to-plate pasta supply chains. The wheat is grown by members of the Wairarapa Grains Collective before being milled and manufactured locally.


While New Zealand produces large volumes of agricultural products, much of the pasta sold here is either imported or made using imported grain. Monty & Sons demonstrates that premium pasta can be produced entirely within New Zealand.


The opportunity extends beyond pasta itself. Expanding local grain processing could create additional value for arable farmers, strengthen food security and keep more food dollars circulating within the domestic economy.


The challenge, however, is price. Imported pasta can often be found on supermarket shelves for as little as $1.99 a packet (Pak 'n Save Thursday Special), making it difficult for smaller local producers to compete on cost alone.


Instead, the company's future may depend on consumers who value provenance, traceability and supporting New Zealand growers. Similar trends have helped build successful markets for local wine, olive oil and artisan food products.


Whether locally-produced pasta remains a niche offering or develops into a larger category remains to be seen. What Monty & Sons has shown is that New Zealand has the capability to grow, process and manufacture its own pasta from start to finish.


For a country that prides itself on producing food for the world, that may be a story worth watching.



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