Article: Commercial, The Professionals Advice
Looking for a Lifestyle that Supplements your Income?
John Parry of Re/MAX is marketing a 6ha Avocado property at State Highway 14 at Maungatapere.
It is a well setup orchard with a modern 4 bedroom home set in attractive gardens, and is this year to be included in the garden discovery tour. With a mix of around 260 mature trees and 100 younger ones, 6000 - 8000 trays are expected this season.
It has been listed for sale at $1,250,000 as a going concern. The trees are irrigated with the help of a fertigation system and comes with 4 shares in the Maungatapere Irrigation Scheme.
The property is handy to Whangarei City, and would also suit a family with business interests in the city. You can get more information and arrange a viewing by ringing John on 0274 36 98 98.
FACTS ABOUT AVOCADOS
Botanical Name: Persea americana
ABOUT THE AVOCADO TREE
The avocado is originally from Central America. The avocado is a large evergreen tree that can reach up to 15 meters high. Its trunk is covered with a chapped/grey like coloured bark and grows with a wide spreading habit. Foliage is dense with shiny dark green, evergreen oval leaves. The flowers are tiny and white packed together in terminal clusters and open one after the other in 24 hours. The fruit grows in a variety of pear like shapes ranging in colour from light through to dark green. The seed is large and brown.
HARVESTING AVOCADOS
The avocado is unique in that it is harvested mature but unripe. The avocado will not ripen while it is attached to the tree. The age of fruit at maturity ranges from 9 - 12 months at which point once the fruit are picked they will begin to ripen. In the case of the Hass variety the fruit change from green to black and soften to a creamy texture that makes the avocado ideal for consumption.
GROWING & BUYING AVOCADO PLANTS
Avocado management requires considerable expertise, so new orchardists should seek advice. The trees are susceptible to several pests and diseases requiring constant management to identify problems early.
LAND ASPECTS
The ideal avocado site faces north, is frost free and has a warm climate. The site should be flat, or of a very slight slope, to allow easy mechanical access. Avocados are smooth and creamy with a nutty/buttery flavor.
PRODUCTS MADE FROM AVOCADOS
The extra virgin oil is an edible oil with a smooth nutty flavour, while natural and refined Avocado is a common active ingredient in skincare products.
This oil is highly nutritious and rich in monounsaturated fats as well as vitamin A, D and E. It is comprised mostly of oleic, linoleic, and linoleinc acids, as well as palmitic and palmitoleic acids, lecithin, phytosterol and carnotinoids.
Primary uses include skincare creams, cosmetics, hair conditioners and suntan lotions, as well as an alternative to olive oil in cooking and salads.
