Maori investment group Wakatu Incorporation and New Zealand horticulture group Enza have begun planting in a new 40ha orchard of the premium Envy apple variety in New Zealand’s Motueka region as part of a joint venture.
Production from the new NZ$6m orchard will be aimed at markets in Asia and North America, particularly the US, with Envy expected to bring in solid returns despite continuing export problems with a high New Zealand dollar.
The Envy apples will be sold by Enza, which holds the marketing rights for the variety, and will be grown by Wakatu Incorporation’s Ngatahi Horticulture arm.
Planting is expected to be wrapped up in coming weeks, and the orchard is expected to generate NZ$4m in annual sales when it hits full production in 2015, reported the Nelson Mail.
“We are continually looking for ways to increase the yield from our land for our owners’ benefit. Envy apples provide an excellent avenue to achieve this,” said Wakatu Incorporation chief executive Keith Palmer.
Envy is the latest premium apple to be marketed by Enza, and was launched onto the international market in June last year. Production of the variety is steadily climbing globally, with an eventual target of year-round availability.
Enza’s marketing of the variety is focusing on Asia and North America, avoiding for the moment the troubled European apple market.
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