The old Masterton Vegetable Seeds processing plant is set to reopen, Federated Farmers has confirmed.
The news comes after PGG Wrightson Seeds announced on Tuesday it had signed a long-term lease of the former Akura Rd site and machinery.
The facility was forced to close 18 months ago after a pea weevil incursion banned peas from being grown in the Wairarapa.
Karen Williams from Federated Farmers says news of the reopening is "absolutely brilliant news".
"PGG Wrightson Seeds has already said they'll look to increase their current Masterton site staff of five by another three or four workers," said Williams. "I think we'll see a snowball effect, as seed companies offer more local contracts, growers respond and that flows on to employment gains for the whole community."
The facility will process all seed types, including cereals, vegetables and pulses. Other seed companies will also be able to use the facilities, Williams said.
"This is particularly exciting in a post-COVID-19 lockdown situation where the community is eager to see viable job creation."
According to Federated Farmers, in 2016, prior to the weevil incursion, Wairarapa accounted for 10 percent of the $50 million in domestic sales and $80 million of export sales the country earned from peas.
"We're also eager to get growing contracts so that we can get back amongst delivery of high-quality seeds that are geographically isolated from other big seed growing areas. We need that for biosecurity," Williams said.
