GOOD TO GROW: Project manager Peter Bennett, left, and orchard manager Paul Bennett stand among the thousands of honeycrisp apple trees that have been planted at Waipopo.

South Canterbury orchardists are planting tens of thousands of trees to prepare for a massive expansion in apple growing.

The project could see an extra 200 harvesters employed in the region within the next five years.

Honeycrisp New Zealand co-director Peter Bennett said the project involved several different growers, including Waipopo Orchards and MA Orchards.

"It's only been very recently that we've been able to get the investors and growers on board; it's taken several years to get everything into place," he said.

During the next four weeks, more than 50,000 trees would be planted at separate orchards in South Canterbury for growing honeycrisp apples.

"We're on to something quite special here. The development will be done in stages, but once we're in full production, we're looking at an extra 200 or more harvesters in the region."

Honeycrisp New Zealand was licensed to grow the apple by the University of Minnesota.

"South Canterbury's cold climate appears to be ideally suited for growing this apple," he said. "Research shows it only grows on the 45th parallel in the southern hemisphere, which limits it to New Zealand and South America," he said.

"It's quite the cult item in the United States. People seem to really appreciate its texture and sweetness. It's extremely juicy and it doesn't go brown like other apples."

Although there had been growing operations already established in Central Otago, the two South Canterbury sites - 19 hectares at Kerrytown, and 16ha at Seadown - would cover the greatest area in the country.

"Between us and the Makikihi site, South Canterbury comprises 95 per cent of the sites where it's grown; we should really see the impacts of this within the next three years," Mr Bennett said.

"The apple sells at nearly twice the price of any of its competitors. That's how popular it is.

"We shipped the first South Canterbury-grown batch to the United States last season. The response was amazing."