Craigmore Sustainables has received permission to buy 479 hectares of sensitive land inland of Waipukurau in Hawke's Bay and 59 ha near Gisborne. The total value of New Zealand apple and pear exports was $745m last year, tipped to rise to $830m this year. Craigmore intends to convert 130 ha of the land used for barley and maize into an apple orchard. Apple varieties would be a mix of traditional and new varieties, and it would take about five years before the orchard reached full production. Craigmore Sustainables was established in 2008 by Canterbury businessmen and farmers, Forbes Elworthy and Mark Cox.

Source: Stuff April 08, 2019 05:03 UTC