Sector Overview
This is the first Monitoring Report which brings together reports on the main horticultural sectors all into one report rather than parts in various regional reports. Apiculture has also been included in this report.
The horticultural industry has made very significant growth and in 1999 contributed 7.7% of New Zealand's primary produce exported. It should also be noted that the domestic market accounts for an estimated further $1,100 million sales value.
In 1980 less than $200 million was earned from horticultural exports, rising dramatically through the 1980s to reach over $1,000 million in 1990. They have continued to rise through the 1990s and reached $1,700 million in 1999. All figures are free on board (fob).
Of the 1999 total, fresh fruit exports were $1,051 million; processed fruit, $59 million; fresh vegetables, $232 million; processed vegetables, $171 million; wine, $126 million; floriculture, $46 million; and other exports (plants, seeds, etc.), $53 million. It is also significant that this wide range of horticultural products was exported to 110 countries.
Recent industry studies are predicting export returns will more than double again by 2010. These projections also indicate that over 80% of this increase will come from kiwifruit, pipfruit, and wine.
One of the significant features of the horticultural industry is its diversity and the continuing development of new products and cultivars. This diversity has allowed the industry to develop throughout the country, contributing to all regional economies to various degrees. In all regions it not only contributes directly to financial returns to producers, marketers, processors, etc., but is also a significant employer and contributor to its infrastructure.
This year's Monitoring Reports show some marked contrasts across the various sectors. Except for the pipfruit and summerfruit sectors, growers and the industry have had good to very good returns in the 1999/2000 season. Weather conditions throughout the country have contributed significantly to this outcome, and product prices have been firm.
All sectors identify the low New Zealand dollar as being significant in their performance. They all report increasing competition from countries that are not only expanding their production, but are often enjoying government support systems, and easier access to many markets.
Innovation through the implementation of new technology, new crops and varieties, is also identified by all sectors as a key to the current and future positions of the various sectors. The new kiwifruit and pipfruit varieties are only two of many such examples of innovation which have been international leaders.
Producer board reform has been a very hotly debated and contentious issue for those sectors involved. For the kiwifruit sector this has been a fairly smooth process, but for the pipfruit sector there are still widely divergent views on the issue.
The discovery of the varroa bee mite has once again highlighted the importance the horticultural sector places on biosecurity issues. While this incursion will not only significantly affect the apicultural industry, the importance of bees in the efficient pollination of horticulural crops is also concerning horticultural producers. All horticultural sectors identify market access as being extremely important in maintaining growth for the industry, and biosecurity features in most market access negotiations.
Maintaining and enhancing New Zealand's clean green image is a priority for all sectors. The move to demonstrating more sustainable production systems continues to gather momentum. Kiwigreen in the kiwifruit industry; IFP in pipfruit, and more recently in summerfruit; and Integrated Winegrape Production System in the wine industry, are all well documented examples. Various quality assurance programmes have been introduced for vegetables. While organic production for the range of horticultural products still only makes up a small percentage of overall production, it continues to increase.
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