Mike Chapman, CEO Horticulture New Zealand:
"Horticulture a growing leader"
The 2016 figures released recently show horticulture was then worth $5.6b. Domestic supply rose by $200 million and exports by $400m. (Data: Plant & Food Research's Fresh Facts annual accumulated statistics.)
Fresh fruit exports in 2016 increased by an impressive 35 per cent over 2015.
Outstanding performances were kiwifruit $1.7b, up nearly $500m or 42 per cent on 2015; apples close to $700m - up $130m or 23 per cent on 2015; blueberries rose 50 per cent on 2015 to $36.5m; and cherries rose 30 per cent to $68m.
Overall, the vegetable export sector rose 4 per cent. In that sector 60 per cent of the value is a mix of fresh, frozen, dried or a vegetable preparation, dominated by peas, potatoes and sweet corn. Onions dominated the fresh vegetable export sector with a sizeable increase of 38 per cent from $81m to $112m.
It was not just the value of horticultural exports that increased - volume also rose, by 13 per cent. The driver for the increase in value has been a combination of market mix, market conditions, varietal mix, fruit size better matching customer requirements and other similar factors. There is also a stronger emphasis on exports to Asia and away from our more traditional markets in the US, EU and the UK.
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