Ginseng has a seven-year cycle from sowing to harvest. As a ground level plant that needs 80 percent shade for optimum growing conditions, it can be paired with thinned pinus radiata that have a longer growing cycle of around 25 to 30 years, and therefore can be harvested after ginseng crop cycles.
“To this day it remains at the pinnacle of all herbs used traditionally for medicinal purposes in China.”
Big returnsAfter the cost of seeds, maintenance, fencing, labour, harvesting and processing, the gross income for the grower is $402,000 a hectare.
“It is a high-risk crop because it needs regular frosts, free draining soil and dry summers, but it is also high return.”
The value in the Chinese market has a lot to do with its appearance, namely that the smaller roots are left attached. For that reason, each plant must be carefully harvested by hand.
“Harvesting is definitely labour-intensive,” said Mr Katu.
Value also differs for wild versus cultivated ginseng, with wild ginseng having a higher market value. Plantations under forestry trees, like Maraeroa’s, are classed as wild.
The leaves and berries of the plant can also be sold and harvested before the roots, and once it has been introduced to an environment it is self-sowing.
Mr Katu says the older the plant, the higher its ginsenoside content — the source of its long-proven health benefits — and therefore its market value is higher.
Gisborne mayor Meng Foon said ginseng could be of long-term benefit to investors with Maori-owned land. “It is forever, it self-sows so it does not matter if it has been five years or 250 years. It is going to be worth some money.”
Aside from bulk exportation, Maraeroa C Incorporation also sells a range of boutique ginseng products. Its middle-of-the-range 10-gram ginseng gift pack sells for around $500 in a gift shop.
As to whether growing ginseng would be viable here, Mr Katu cannot say for sure. “Only a trial will tell you that.”
