Certified organic exports totalled more than NZ$60m for the year to June 2000 – a staggering 77% increase on the previous year.
The growth is being attributed to New Zealand’s GM-free image and the rise in global demand for organic goods, one of the world’s fastest growing food sectors.
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The European market accounted for nearly half the exported goods and showed the largest growth, followed by the USA.
European countries imported NZ$28.7m worth of New Zealand organic produce, compared to US$18m in 1998-9. The USA bought only 13% of organic exports, but the market increased sharply to NZ$8m from NZ$1.3m last year.
Fresh fruit, especially apples, kiwifruit and squash, were the major export, making up 79% of the total and almost doubling earnings to NZ$48m. The meat and wool sector also grew from half a million dollars to NZ$1.3m.
The figures have exceeded growth expectations in a country that has entered the organic produce market relatively recently – total organic production was valued at just NZ$1.1m in 1990.
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By GlobalDataWith the world market in organic goods growing at 20% per year, Dr Hugh Campbell, director of the Centre for the Study of Agriculture, Food and Environment at New Zealand’s Otago University, predicts further increases.
He said: “New Zealand is ideally placed to become a significant player in the world organic marketplace. We have an excellent growing environment, broad public sympathy for organics, a good market image and, so far, no genetically modified organisms.”
He said that organics “had reached a similar level to the wine industry only a few years ago” and added that when the domestic market was included, total organic production in New Zealand exceeded NZ$100m.
The figures were released by the NZ Organic Producers Exporters Group OPEG), following a survey of its 40 members.
The only market to show a decline was Japan, which two years ago accounted for 60% of total exports. The figure is now down to 25%, which OPEG attributed to the “considerable increase” in demand from Europe and the USA, as well as uncertainty over market access.
By Alan Osborn
