Reading Time: 3 minutes Pāmu expects to be cashflow positive in its orchard development in Northland on Kapiro Station, Bay of Islands, despite poor prices for avocados at present.
Since the first stage of avocado seedling and shelter planting in 2020, a total of 70 hectares have been developed and the older trees are yielding up to 24 tonnes a hectare.
This year is the first commercial harvest of Stage 3, being the biggest stage with 30ha planted in 2022.
A total of 30,000 trees have been planted in three stages on different densities up to 400/ha.
They are on mounds of 300mm to 400mm height to aid the roots in drying out after heavy rains.
Near the entrance to the big orchard, some 6ha of tunnel houses have two varieties of blueberries, Corrina and Ceres, planted in 2024.
Another 6ha are being established this year in varieties that will harvest on the shoulders of the season for domestic consumption and export.
Presentations by Pāmu chief investment officer Andrew Sliper, horticulture business manager Matt Hayward and horticulture operations manager Kim Leemeyer worked through the challenges of large-scale orchard development in the north.
The orchard is allocated over 500 megalitres of water annually from the Kerikeri community irrigation scheme but storage is needed to avoid stoppages and spread the fertigation.
Blueberries require water within critical periods and its absence through outages can have major effects on the seasonal harvest, Hayward said.
Kapiro orchard has numerous soil types and avocado plantings follow the best advice and establishment methods.
“The orchard has....
