Only the crumbs from the PNG table

In this special Export Year, New Zealand’s exporters will redouble efforts to capture a greater share of the Island mar ket. Papua New Guinea, the largest Island country of the South Pacific’s developing nations, is one target the NZ manufacturers have in their

sights.

The latest available statistics show that in 1975-76 New Zealand’s exports of food to Papua New Guinea totalled just over $2 million, only 2% of PNG’s food imports of more than $lOO million.

As an established exporter of food products all around the world, it is surprising that New Zealand does not supply more to the PNG market, so near to New Zealand.

It is from Australia that the bulk of Papua New Guinea’s

food imports come, including

such traditional New Zealand exports as meat and dairy pro ducts. The only notable excep tions are fish; Japan supplies almost all canned fish and New Zealand nearly 70% of the frozen fish.

A few pertinent 1975-76 stat istics illustrate New Zealand’s present market performance: • dairy products out of a total market worth over $5 million. New Zealand’s share in 1975-76 was $314,763, or 6%; • meat (mutton and lamb) the total market was worth $1,300,000, while New Zealand’s share was $416,846.

We now have one-third of the market, making meat by far our best effort next to frozen fish. But there is also a $2 million market for beef our current share is just over 1%. • canned corned beef the total market was worth $4.2 million, but New Zealand’s share was $32,591 less than 1%. Canned meat with veg etables of the total market of over $1 million. New Zealand’s share was $2,744 less than 1%. • canned fish (mackerel) while the total market was worth nearly $lO million. New Zealand had no share of this

market. With increasing prices

from Japan this is an area where we might be able to make a breakthrough. • vegetables (fresh and frozen) New Zealand sup

plied $143,428 of vegetables,

9% of the total market of $1.5 million. • vegetables (canned) of the total market of $711,000, New Zealand’s share was $34,495, or 5%. • confectionery (including chocolate) this market was

worth NZ$l.7 million, of which New Zealand’s share was NZ541,894, or 2%. • wine although the total market was worth NZ$7OO,OOO, New Zealand’s share was NZ52,258, or less than 2%.

These statistics relate to last year’s market; but in a developing country such as Papua New Guinea the poten tial for market expansion is enormous. The population in

Papua New Guinea is growing rapidly and will soon reach three million. While many are still at subsistence level their

purchases, particularly of rice,

meat, and fish, are steadily increasing. In addition the ex pectations of a growing middle class of urban workers are rising as the Papua New Guinea economy expands. It is expected that by 1986 there will be an urban population of a

million people.