We love Ohakune carrots, Dargaville kumara and Marlborough wine. It's all gone apples and pears. And kiwifruit, hops and avocados. All the good stuff, really. We have drone stock footage of crops and farms in NZ. Buy and download stock footage instantly.
More than a third (34%) of our horticulture export revenue is from kiwifruit. Kiwifruit mainly grow in the Bay of Plenty region, around Tauranga. 53 countries around the world receive our iconic fruit, with a large proportion of our crop heading to Asia. Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit has proven popular in these markets and now accounts for around 40% of the crop.
Wine is also a huge horticulture industry in New Zealand. The largest producing region in NZ is Marlborough, followed by Hawkes Bay. Twenty years ago, there were less than 5,000 hectares of vineyards in New Zealand. Now, 35,000 hectares of vineyard produce exports valued in excess of $1.7 billion. Sauvignon blanc is still the main grape, but other wines, particularly Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, are also increasing in production.
The New Zealand apple industry is rated the best in the world, with new cultivars such as Jazz and Envy providing tasty alternatives. The Nelson Tasman region is a huge producer of apple. The humble potato has also transformed, with a move from fresh potato exports to the majority of the $141 million of exports now being processed potato products. Over the years, onions, peas and squash have remained integral parts of our horticultural export mix.
Bees are crucial to New Zealand’s primary sector, pollinating approximately one-third of our food sources. Mānuka forests can be found around NZ, particularly in Northland. Natural honey production in 2021 was 21,500 tonnes of which 12,800t was exported to 65 countries with a total value of $482m (2020: $425m), 72% by weight being in retail packs. The largest export markets were: China $101m, USA $74m, UK $71m, Continental Europe $64m, Japan $51m.
