One of Central Otago's biggest stonefruit operations has gone into receivership.
Summerfruit Orchards Ltd's orchard and packhouse at Earnscleugh, 3km south of Clyde, is for sale by tender after the company went into receivership earlier this month.
The 201.1ha property is in two titles, with about 50ha planted in fruit trees - 26ha of apricots, 21ha of cherries, 1.4ha of nectarines and 1.25ha of peaches.
The Otago Daily Times understands the business employed between 10 and 15 permanent staff and more than 300 seasonal workers at the harvest peak.
Summerfruit's website said the business started operation in 1986, focusing mostly on producing export cherries, apricots, nectarines and apples.
It included the Weaver family's Conroys Rd orchards and a block of farmland in Strode Rd bought from the Cameron family.
Additional land was bought in 1998 and some was planted in apricots. A fruit-packing and coolstore complex was added in 2004.
The company's vision was to be ''the number 1 premium stonefruit producer'' and its mission was to be ''New Zealand's most profitable stonefruit producer'', its website said.
Director Earnscy Weaver, of Alexandra, declined to comment yesterday other than confirming the company was in receivership and referred the ODT to majority shareholder Ingrid Hofma, of Auckland.
Ms Hofma has more than 55% of the 2,529,095 shares, according to the New Zealand Companies website.
Ms Hofma also declined to comment, referring the ODT to the receivers.
Receiver Colin Gower, of BDO Christchurch, failed to respond to an emailed list of questions yesterday.
Summerfruit New Zealand national industry group chairman Gary Bennetts, of Roxburgh, said the operation in receivership was one of the biggest stonefruit enterprises in the district.
Summerfruit NZ represents the interests of about 280 New Zealand growers.
Asked for comment on the problems being faced by the Central Otago company, Mr Bennetts said it was '' a sign of the times''.
''I don't know the financial details, so I'm speaking generally, but with the amount of fruit around, the rising costs of running your business and a little bit of bad weather, the margins are not significant enough in this industry.''
Frost-fighting was being carried out on the Earnscleugh orchard yesterday and the ODT believes a skeleton crew remains working on the operation.
An industry source said Summerfruit Orchards Ltd's annual fruit harvest was worth about $3.5 million.
Tenders for the operation close on October 30 and the receiver's first report is due on November 7.
