126 Merrick Road, Pyes Pa, Tauranga & Surrounds

Organic G3 with conventional licence, city fringe

Growing kiwifruit organically gives the owners a licence to do things a little differently, but that doesn't mean quality is compromised. Along with being excellent stewards of the land, the owners have aspired to sustainably produce the best quality organic kiwifruit in the region and their hard work, has resulted in today's highly productive organic SunGold orchard. The top performance of this orchard on Tauranga City's boundary comes down to a mix of factors besides the excellent husbandry. The Rautanui Orchard holds BioGro certification and covers some 8.74 can/ha with naturally fertile, free draining volcanic soils with the benefit of conventional G3 licence which offers flexibility for future endeavours. Sunshine hours are among the highest in the country, rainfall is plentiful, there's established shelter and the topography plays its part. The orchard is defined in 13 blocks, fully covered with NetPro. The vines are on sound Agbeam structures with good end assemblies and various row spacings. The buds are looking plentiful laying down an exciting canopy for the coming season, on the back of last year's record breaking crop of 132,633 trays which generated high orchard gate returns for the owners. The excellent fruit size indicates the vines are well able to carry these heavier crops, plus recent soil testing shows some outstanding results. Regular Seaweed based fertiliser sprays and 40 tonne/ha compost ensure great growth rates. A bore supplies water to storage tanks, around one third of the orchard features automated frost protection, and a shed suitable for orchard equipment and storage completes the infrastructure. A global increase in consumer demand for organic produce has been paralleled in New Zealand with a rise in organic kiwifruit production. Organic SunGold is where the growth is expected to come in the future; it's an exciting time to be part of this thriving industry. Around 8km to Tauranga Crossing or 14km to the City, it's a fantastic location. To be sold + GST (if any)