Nine To Noon Around the motu: Chris Hyde, Hawkes Bay Today editor
Mar 24, 2026
Chris Hyde, editor of Hawke's Bay Today and local reporter, walks through big regional stories. He covers the shock of McCain's Hastings plant closure and its ripple effects. He explains a lumber mill's controversial plan to burn treated timber and a long fight to restore a road sign. He also highlights a new cricket medal honoring a young player.
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McCain Closure Reflects Wider Food Processing Shift
- McCain's Hastings plant closure is part of a wider food-processing restructure hitting New Zealand regions.
- Growers like Hugh Ritchie and Peter Rakes called the news a bombshell, with large downstream effects and uncertain job losses in the dozens or hundreds.
Missing Margin In The Food Chain
- Community debate is focusing on who captures margin in the food chain amid factory closures.
- Chris Hyde and farmers questioned why efficient regional growers can't be profitable when supermarket buying power may compress returns.
Consider Co-ops But Mind Energy Costs
- Consider cooperative or alternative ownership models for closed processing plants to preserve regional supply chains.
- Chris Hyde noted past farmer cooperatives and mayoral concerns about high energy costs that make takeover risky right now.