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Asian markets drive record year for New Zealand horticulture exports

Xinhua, April 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

New Zealand's horticulture sector had a record year for exports in 2015, driven by surging demand in Asian markets, the government's Plant & Food Research institute said Friday.

Horticultural exports, including wine, increased by 9.5 percent last year to 4.3 billion NZ dollars (2.99 billion U.S. dollars), according to a report released by the institute.

Productivity, new cultivars, strong branding and marketing all helped capture premiums in world markets, along with a growing understanding of global consumers.

Kiwifruit exports were back to pre-Psa (Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae) values, increasing by 251 million NZ dollars (174.79 million U.S. dollars) to 1.2 billion NZ dollars (835.68 million U.S. dollars).

New Zealand produced around 30 percent of the globally traded volume of kiwifruit, but the Psa disease had affected around 85 percent of orchards since its discovery in 2010.

Apple exports hit 562 million NZ dollars (391.43 million U.S. dollars) in 2015, and were forecast to hit their export target of 1 billion NZ dollars (696.5 million U.S. dollars) by 2020.

Cherry growers also had a record season, with Asian markets, including China, China's Taiwan and the Republic of Korea experiencing record sales.

"It's important we continue to develop our understanding about consumer preferences in our key global markets. There are opportunities to further enhance the premium price that New Zealand produce earns around the world, but only by delivering to consumers exactly what they want," Plant & Food Research chief operating officer Bruce Campbell said in a statement. Endit