Kōrero: Agricultural and horticultural research

The Riwaka Hop Research Station, near Motueka, was established in 1949 because of concerns over a black root rot in hops. Flowers of the female hop plant are used to give the bitter taste to beer. Hops are grown in gardens where the vines climb up and along strings to lengths of up to 15 metres, allowing maximum flower development. Funding for hop research is from government, breweries and growers.