New apple orchard blossoms in Hazelbrook, P.E.I.

A new apple orchard is taking shape on 20 hectares, or 50 acres, of land in Hazelbrook, P.E.I.

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Red Shore Orchards has planned and is planting the orchard for JAI Estates Inc., which is owned by a large apple grower in India, Rajiv Chauhan, and two pilots from Qatar, according to Red Shore Orchards' Tim Pearson.

"They have been introduced to P.E.I. and want to plant [an] apple orchard in P.E.I., and they approached us about doing it for them," said Pearson, who also has a successful 80-acre apple farm,Kimberlee Farms,in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia.

JAI Estates acquired the land in Hazelbrook last November.

Pearson's company has planted half of the land with 30,000 trees in the new trellis-style orchard. The other half of the land will be planted next year.

Most of the orchard 80 per cent is being planted in Honeycrisp apples, Pearson said, with the rest in Gala and Ambrosia varieties. The trees should begin to bear fruit in three years, he added.

"P.E.I., although it's known for its potato-growing, has great soil and the climate's favourable for growing apples," said Pearson. "I think it's a good venture to start out in and pursue, for sure."

'3 to 4 times as much'

Apple consumption is rising, he said, and demand for sweet, delicious Honeycrisp apples is high among consumers and that's reflected in a higher price.

"For growers, they tend to be three to four times as much as we would get for a regular variety MacIntosh or Cortland or Gravenstein," he said. "It's certainly turned our industry around a bit, to a profitable side."

Why not plant orchards himself, rather than for others?

"I like this type of setup, where it's other people's money, not my own," laughs Pearson.

There are half a dozen orchards on P.E.I. now, and Pearson is in the process of contracting to set up even more, he said.

He's also planting a small orchard in Brackley, P.E.I., andsaid he is poised to sign a contract for another in Souris, P.E.I.

"I think you'll see some orchards popping up in P.E.I. in the next few years for sure," he said.

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