You’ve heard of that ‘old chestnut’ – perhaps we have defined it here:
The Chestnut industry in New Zealand has been arduously nutted out many times over; but it always seems to relegate itself into the ‘nearly made it’ chest.
This time – 2013 – there still remain international markets pleading for product.
A leading tree propagator of great experience holds a bud grafting workshop featuring chestnuts.
He has supplied thousands of trees over decades for this elusive industry –
Where is this chestnut industry that has swallowed up so much effort?
While we wait for answers from the many people attempting a rebirth, let us see what we can find from the archival chest of dreams about this unfulfilled crop.
Below is a Basic Crop Fact Sheet from 1997, abridged only to remove references to authorities believed to be no longer with us.
We intended to follow up with coverage of recent progress outlined at the field day (embargoed), much of which is inspiring. (We never did find a reliable method for returning to topic after the 3-month hold, but thankfully those requirements have eased.)
Meanwhile, a great export market goes unsatisfied – which we are well placed to supply.
