New Zealand's apple and pear industry has achieved over $1 billion in revenue, with 65% of the production based in the Hawke's Bay region. Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst expressed gratitude for efforts to revive the sector post-cyclone, stating, "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, who experienced total site loss and tree destruction due to flooding, is now securing international deals. He remarked, "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 operates in Esk Valley, a Category 3 area affected by the disaster, which restricts residential use but allows business operations. He noted, "some of the ground there was the 'best orcharding soil in the country,'" and expressed optimism, stating, "I believe there's a really strong future for the area."
Robert Sykes, founder of South Pacific Growers, commented on the industry's record revenue, saying it was "really exciting." He added, "We're really proud of what we're doing to help rebuild Hawke's Bay and get the economy up and going again."
Source: 1 News
