Promoting new ventures

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 16

Promoting new ventures

New Zealand's extensive agricultural, horticultural, and fisheries potential has new opportunities for development, according to a recently appointed economist to the Investment Unit of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Mr Pat McCabe has been seconded to the unit from the Economics Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, where he was involved with trade policy in the marketing of agricultural products overseas. In his six-month assignment Mr McCabe will collate details of known opportunities for development and promote investigation of new ventures. The most important part of his work, how rever, will be in communicating this information to a wide range of overseas and local investment agencies, as well as agricultural interests. New’ Zealand is generally recognised as being wellendowed with natural resources. A leading function of the investment unit is to promote industrial’ projects based on these resources,

with organisations having the expertise and capital to develop them. Meat, wool and dairy products are the main export earners for New Zealand. Production of these products is expanding, and- further processing is diversifying the range of products. The market outlook for this extra production is said to be very encouraging. Horticulture, too, shows great promise. Demonstrating this confidence is the size of new . kiwifruit plantings, which in 1980 exceeded the area harvested for the year. The industry is continuing to develop and promote markets to increase the present export earnings of S3SM per year.

Berry fruits, stone fruits, subtropical fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, and live plants are all foreign, exchange earners with strong growth opportunities.

■, “Pharmaceuticals from both animal and plant tissues is another area of potential for agricultural, horticultural, and also marine resources.”' ■-■i