New Zealand's horticulture sector may have been faced with biological infestation, financial travails and legal headaches over the past couple of years, but it has continued to achieve solid growth according to the latest edition of Fresh Facts, the annual compendium of data published by Plant & Food Research and Horticulture New Zealand.

During the year to June 2012, the country's total exports rose 5.5 per cent in terms of FOB value compared with the same period of 2011, reaching more than NZ$3.6bn.

Horticulture now accounts for 7.8 per cent of New Zealand’s entire merchandise exports, with the country’s largest export destination Asia accounting for around one-third of its total horticultural export sales.

Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea each spent more than NZ$100m on NZ horticultural products during the 12-month period, particularly fresh fruit.

'New Zealand’s horticultural industries have faced many challenges in the past years, the most notable those of the kiwifruit bacterial disease Psa and the tomato-potato psyllid,' said Plant & Food Research chief executive Peter Landon-Lane.

'In both cases, coordinated responses across the industry, including growers, government and research, have allowed us to begin to combat these incursions, with the introduction of improved management practices and focusing our breeding programmes on resistant cultivars.'

He added: “There is still a long road ahead, but I feel certain that the industry as a whole is rising to meet the challenge and is confident for the future ahead. The success of our horticultural industry relies on the skills and dedication of people throughout the value chain. Plant & Food Research is pleased to play a role, providing research that demonstrates positive impact for this important sector.'

Key items from this year's Fresh Facts include:

New Zealand's total horticulture merchandise exports in the period July 2011 to June 2012 exceeded NZ$3.6bn, up 5.5 per cent (NZ$190.5m) on the year-earlier period.

During the same period, horticulture accounted for 7.8 per cent of New Zealand’s total merchandise exports.

New Zealand fresh fruit exports increased by 7.1 per cent (NZ$103.1m) on the previous year, with most of the increase from kiwifruit at NZ$83.1m (+8.6 per cent) and avocados at NZ$45.6m (+88.9 per cent).

The total value of fresh vegetable exports was NZ$213.3m, a decrease of NZ$56.9m (-21.1 per cent) compared with 2011. Onion exports fell to NZ$62.1m, down 43.6 per cent.

Vegetable seed exports continue to increase, earning NZ$62.5m (+11.8 per cent) in 2012. The largest vegetable seed export products were radish (NZ$22.0m, +14.8 per cent) and carrot (NZ$17.8m, +11.1 per cent).

Exports of horticultural machinery and components, primarily for cleaning, sorting and grading fresh and dried fruit and vegetables were valued at NZ$78.6 million in 2012, 42.2 per cent more than in 2011.

Topics