Chch firm plans blueberry farm

Press, 2 December 1978, Page 9

Chch firm plans blueberry farm

After seven years, a 4.5 ha! blaeberry farm could have a ! yeajjy cash return of.. $02,500, a sub-committee of ; the Waimairi County Coun- : cil has been told. The sub-committee heard an application . from Harewood Enterprises, Ltd, ; which seeks consent to build a house on a small rural block. The firm plans to establish a blueberry farm at the corner of Stanleys Road and Harewood Road. Because of the intense! nature of blueberry Tarming, the firm wants to build a house on the property for or of the directors, Mr R. J. Mundy. The sub-committee re-1 served its decision and willi make a report to the rest of the council. Mr Mundy said that he and his brother had used the land for growing potatoes. ■ but it was now infested with potato cyst. They now planned to use the land for g owing blueberries for export to the 1 nited States. These would be sold during the American off-season. Later they hoped! for export markets in Japan and Singapore. Although blueberries were

selling for $2.50 per kg in! New Zealand, in the United States they fetched as much as $9 per kg, said Mr Mundy. However, the cost of establishing the farm would be high. Stock plants cost about $5O each and cuttings! from these might be worth as much as $l5. Initially only lha would be planted in blueberries at a cost of about $37,000. Mr Mundy said he had six stock plants. It would take about two years to get enough cuttings from these: to plant lha. While the plants were growing the pH level of the soil would have to be checklet daily and the amount of I ; water the plants received tightly controlled. When fully grown the plants would -be about as high as blackcurrant bushes and would have to be prole :ted from birds. Mr Mundy said that New Zealand could grow about! IOJOha of blueberries for' export to the United States without damaging the ' domestic American market. Although there would be I no return from the venture 'during the first two years,

Mr Mundy said, after seven - years the cash return was i likely to be $521500: Berries not up to export i standards could be sold : locally. o Child- care centre : i The sub-committee also heard an application for a conditional-use permit from M. E. T. Cassidy, who wants 'to open a child-care centre ■ ,ai 15 Thornycroft Road,! Fendalton. This hearing was adIjourned while the sub-com-mittee considers objectors’ submissions. Mr J, R. Milligan, a solic-i itor who represented 11 of! Ith 17 objectors said that! [the application was! “deficient in information to 'th point where it. could not be considered ” Other objections were made on the grounds that! the centre would generate i traffic, and that it was! ! against planning principles' jin residential A zones. Mr 'Cassidy said he ■ anted to turn the ground; floor of his house into a centre which would care forj as many as 30 children .dur-j 'ing the day. A staff of four 'nurses would be employed, i