White king proteas are proving hot property in the cut-flower export market.
John Trubshaw of Aongatete, near Tauranga, sends his entire crop to Japan and said prospects were bright at an average price of $9 a stem (all lengths from 40cm to 1.20m) and a potential crop six years after plantingof 40 stems a plant.
After buying three Arctic Ice proteas at a local nursery three years ago, Mr Trubshaw tested them in his home garden before buying about 300 for planting on his 2ha.
Mr Trubshaw picks on Sundays for pick-up by a chilled truck and the flowers fly to Japan on Monday mornings from Auckland.
Mr Trubshaw, a former dairy farmer, and his wife Penny, a former Tauranga florist and now a tutor at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, market as Floralanz and grow 18 varieties of foliage and flowers, with Arctic Ice one of their standout performers.
