By RNZ
A Far North strawberry grower has had to diversify its crops this year amid a nationwide shortage of plants.
Heavy rain destroyed about four million young plants at the country’s three main propagators at Bay of Plenty nurseries this year.
Kaikohe Berries is a joint venture between the two commercial arms of Te Rūnanga-ā-iwi o Ngāpuhi and the Far North District Council, with 12 permanent employees and up to 60 seasonal workers.
General manager Todd Jackson said the two-year-old business built 10ha of tunnels at its Ngawha site to house 600,000 plants, but the shortage meant only 200,000 got into the ground.