Te Uru Rākau (Forestry New Zealand) is partnering with Mānuka Farming New Zealand on the offer.
Mānuka Farming New Zealand (MFNZ) general manager Stephen Lee said one of the conditions of being eligible to receive mānuka seedlings is that landowners must commit to planting them in 2018.
Lee said MFNZ will undertake free site assessments to assess land suitability for establishing a mānuka plantation. They will also provide a Plantation Establishment Plan.
“It’s an opportunity to plant 1.8 million mānuka trees on around 1,635 hectares across New Zealand,” he said.
“We have a large range of developed, tested and trialed high performance mānuka varieties designed and tailored for specific regions, as well as eco-sourced varieties suitable for planting at or near their source. MFNZ is providing wrap-around services to ensure greater planting and growing success.”
Te Uru Rākau has contracted MFNZ to facilitate and manage planning, and assessing the suitability of sites, for mānuka plantations to be planted this winter.
“This is great opportunity for landowners to plant manuka on their land,” Te Uru Rākau head Julie Collins said.
“To get the very best possible outcomes, we need to ensure the right mānuka seedlings are matched to the land. MFNZ has experience and expertise in this area. This initiative will contribute to the Government’s One Billion Trees Programme.”
Lee said there is no maximum limit on the size of the proposed plantations that landowners can apply for, however, the land approved for planting will be determined as part of the assessment process. Larger plantations would be assessed more favourably, however.
Landowners will need to cover the costs of packing and dispatching the seedlings from the nursery, site preparation including pest and weed control, fencing if required, planting costs and post-plant monitoring.
Interested landowners should contact MFNZ to register their interest by May 23.
