Transforming

food exports

NEW ZEALAND’S biggest export earners in the food and beverages sector are sheep-meat and beef, dairy products, fish, kiwifruit and apples. However, considerable growth exists in the sales of venison, wine and other niche products because of increasing de mand.

The buoyant economies of Asia and the single market in Europe offer strong potential for New Zealand food sup pliers to carve out new markets. Even the approach to exporting traditional pastoral products such as meat and dairy products is changing.

Take meat for example. Meat is still New Zealand’s largest export earner, bringing in $1 out of every $5 earned overseas. However, the markets New Zealand meat goes to have shifted dramatically. In 1975, Britain took 90 per cent of New Zealand’s sheep-meat exports but in recent years about 30 per cent has been exported to Britain, about

30 per cent to other EC countries and the balance to the Middle East, Asia and Pacific Rim countries.

International lifestyle trends have also significantly changed the way New Zealand meat exporters operate. Exist-

ing markets have been developed to take value-added processed meat cuts and a substantial move to market-led production has occurred.

In 1966, 100 per cent of lamb exports left New Zealand in carcass form.

Today’s exports comprise 55 per cent of processed cuts and 45 per cent in carcass form and part of the latter has further processing overseas by joint venture operations involving New Zea land companies. Virtually all beef ex ports now take the form of boneless manufacturing beef or beef cuts.

NZ Fishing Industry Board Layer-packing fish fillets

NZ Meat Producers Board New Zealand beef

Aside from meat and dairy products, New Zealand is now developing a whole new range of food exports. Fish is a prime example. Seafood exports have grown over the space of 15 years to become the third largest component of New Zealand food exports. More than 200,000 tons are exported to over 40 countries with annual income exceeding NZ$l billion.

There has been rapid growth in value added exports of. both deep-sea fish

and aquaculture products. A large tuna resource is harvested annually and includes albacore, skipjack, yellowfin and bluefin. Greenshell mussels are now the most successful aquaculture prod uct and a major export earner. There

has been further success in exporting rock oysters. Salmon producers have developed overseas markets for export ing fresh, cold smoked and wood roasted salmon.

Many years of New Zealand horticul ture are also booming. Apples are a case in point. Apple export today have

grown to over $5OO million per annum with New Zealand leading the world in the development of new varieties such as braeburn and royal gala. Other new varieties currently under development are expected to increase growth in the future as New Zealand maintains its image as a premium supplier of top quality fruit.

Perhaps the most exciting fruit of all is not used for food but is made into wine. In recent years New Zealand has discovered that it has one of the best environments outside of France for production of premium cool climate grape varieties such as sauvignon blac, chardonnay and pinot noir. But there is a quantity problem with New Zealand wine there is not nearly enough of it to satisfy world demand. All this augurs well for the New Zealand wine industry to grow significantly in future.

Food is another area where life in New Zealand has changed significantly.

New Zealanders still enjoy the traditional roast of lamb with mint sauce. But they are just as likely today to sit down to a meal of fresh fish with a premium white varietal wine.

NZ Dairy Board High-tech dairy manufacturing

Royal gala premium variety