Some Hawke’s Bay growers have seen record-breaking profits two years on from widespread devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle.
New Zealand’s apple and pear industry recorded its largest-ever orchard-gate profits, surpassing $1 billion in revenue. The Hawke’s Bay region is home to 65% of the nation’s crops.
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said she was “really grateful” for the work done to get the region’s sector up and running again in the wake of the cyclone.
“We’ve seen our horticulture seek to stand up, replant those trees, we’ve got an amazing crop coming through this summer and that feeds our economy, gives people jobs, and gets us back on the right track.”
Plum grower Shayne Walker had his entire site wiped out and lost a number of trees in the flooding.
Now, he’s securing global deals.
“I think we’re doing something pretty special and Hawke’s Bay is known for that innovative and resilient response to just do things differently.”
Strawberry grower Donald Crosby’s patch is located in the hardest-hit Esk Valley on land designated as Category 3, meaning he cannot live there but is still able to operate a business.
He said some of the ground there was the “best orcharding soil in the country”.
“I believe there’s a really strong future for the area.”
South Pacific Growers founder Robert Sykes said the record-breaking profits were “really exciting”.
“We’re really proud of what we’re doing to help rebuild Hawke’s Bay and get the economy up and going again.”
