New Zealand needs to increase its fruit and vegetable exports to stay ahead of other global players who are on the rise, says a new report.
More research, development and continued innovation are needed to increase these exports and the horticultural industry says it is responding to the challenge.
On the side of Auckland's Mt Albert, scientists are working on innovative new fruit and veggies. The Jazz apple and golden kiwifruit, as we know them now, were designed there.
"New Zealand can only feed about 30 to 40 million people with all the food it produces," says Plant & Food Research CEO Peter Landon-Lane. "So the strategy, the right strategy for New Zealand, is to focus on those consumers who are willing to pay a premium for a really superior offering. And that's something New Zealand really does well."
According to a new Rabobank report, the likes of Mexico and Peru are rapidly becoming big global players in horticultural trade. One way to stay ahead is to be different. The golden kiwifruit is one of the more successful examples.
That's in line with the report's finding that "temperate climate fruits", like grapes, berries and kiwifruit, are becoming more popular overseas.
Dozens of innovations are underway at Plant & Food Research's labs right now, but it can take 15 years from lab table to breakfast table.
One of the advantages for scientists here is New Zealand's wealth of cultural diversity. It allows researchers to test new innovations on different ethnic groups before they are produced and released to that market.
"We see in the growth in the Asian markets for example, that they have a sweeter palate," says Mr Landon-Lane. "So on average they typically like a sweeter, more-rounded flavour in their fruit, whereas European consumers will tend to like a higher acidity and a slightly more sour and crunchy apple."
So while New Zealand might not always be able to compete on quantity, producing quality will help ensure they still get a decent bite of global fruit and veggie apple.
