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A collective of seven Māori land blocks in the eastern Bay of Plenty has secured $1.1 million from the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund to plant 13 hectares of truffle trees.
The trees, which are typically English and evergreen oaks, hazels, and some species of pine, will be inoculated with spores of the valuable fungus.
New Zealand-grown black truffles sell for between $2 and $3 per gram.
Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan says the fund will also loan up to $1.1 million to Paengaroa North A1 Section 2 and $2.1 million to Waihau Bay Horticulture to develop kiwifruit orchards.
Taurangamoana iwi Ngāi Tamarāwaho has been granted up to $726,000 to develop a contracting yard to provide nursery services to support ecological restoration, planting and eco sourcing seedlings on Māori freehold land.
“The Bay of Plenty has a credible history of producing high value horticulture. These investments will see the region continue to grow in capability and build strong relationships with technical partners to thrive in this sector.” ms A llen says.”
She says across Māori own about 400,000 hectares of land in farms engaged in primary production;, but less than 1 per cent is in horticulture.
“Investing into these kinds of enterprises will be a promising pathway to creating sustainable regional growth in Aotearoa.”
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