Hortinvest has fine-tuned the investment model on its latest cherry project in Central Otago.
The projects, launched last year, were initially targeted to large-scale investors but Hortinvest has since re-visited its investment model following demand from smaller wholesale investors.
“Our model now also includes the option for shareholders to trade shares at certain intervals via online exchange platform, Syndex,” said Ross Kirk, project and orchard development manager.
“Some people want to commit for the long-term, others want to come in at various intervals and others want to take a capital gain early in the production phase. Our model is structured to accommodate various needs.”
The two NZ$15.5m export-focused orchard projects are located at Lindis River and Mt Pisa and set to harvest their first cherries in 2021/2022.
'People are excited about the chance to invest in a high-value product with established export markets. The biggest market for New Zealand cherries is Taiwan (accounting for some 30 per cent of exports) and it continues to grow,” said Kirk.
“Other markets with enormous potential, which we're developing, include India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Europe and the United States,” he said.
The cherry project will close expressions of interest on 29 March, and following that, Hortinvest will explore an apricot project in Central Otago to produce premium New Zealand-bred varieties by 2022.
