More than 600ha of vineyards have been removed from the Gisborne region, about half of Tairāwhiti’s vineyard production.

East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick says the change has reshaped the Poverty Bay Flats.

“There is a bit of an oversupply, the younger generation don’t drink wine the way that we have,” she says.

She says the land is highly productive and growers are moving into squash, broccoli, maize and seed maize this season.

“They’re not going to be just left lying barren.”

She says a future lies in premium wines.

“We still produce the best Chardonnay and a very high quality Pinot Gris.”

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.

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