Orchards go as grapes take over

Large areas of Marlborough orchards have been removed this winter to make way for grapes.

But Marlborough Fruit Growers' Association president Murray Neal said that despite a dwindling infrastructure and warming winter climate there was still optimism over the future of fruit-growing in the region.

He said many orchards had been pulled down, ploughed up and burned this winter.

"Every year for the last five years there has been a significant removal."

That was disappointing for those who stayed in the industry because the infrastructure reduced as the number of orchards decreased.

The Department of Statistics and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) said Nelson-Marlborough had 700ha of apples in 1994 and just 300 in 2002, a 57 per cent reduction.

In the same period, the area in grapes increased by 150 per cent to 7500ha.

It was not necessarily the value of the crop that made people turn to grapes, but the value of the land, Mr Neal said.

"The offers are just too good. People would be silly not to take the values being offered. It is setting people up for life."

Marlborough's warming winters have added injury to insult for orchardists, who need winter chilling at temperatures below 5C to initiate fruit buds.

But Mr Neal said: "Even if it does heat up it probably won't be warmer than Hawkes Bay."

Fruit grew exceptionally well in Marlborough and would eventually make a comeback, he said.