Potential in Japan

Press, 30 September 1983, Page 27

Potential in Japan

The Japanese market has a huge potential for exporters of New Zealand vegetables and horticultural products, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Rex Austin, said recently. New Zealand had established a successful trade with Japan for primary produce, particularly dairy products, but there was a major potential for other foodstuffs, he said The Japanese import about SI3OOM worth of fruit and vegetables annually, and this is a market in which New Zealand is only now beginning to make an impact. ‘At present New Zealand’s share of that market is about S4OM annually, made up largely of kiwifruit, fresh and processed vegetables, live plants, cut flowers and berryfruit,” Mr Austin said. “But with a combination of research that is now available, more homework by New Zealand exporters and knowledge of the tastes of the Japanese customers, we can increase our share

of that market dramatically.” Mr Austin said that Japan was now New Zealand’s biggest single market for horticultural products, but nevertheless it was a minor share of a large and expanding export market made possible by that country’s growing dependence on fruit and vegetable imports. Official Japanese figures predicted a rise of over eight per cent in vegetable consumption between 1978 and 1990, a 17 per cent increase in fruit consumption in the same period and a 37 per cent rise in demand for plants and flowers. As an example, Mr Austin said New Zealand had been exporting flowers to Japan worth $2.5M each year. “Now, this infant export industry is expected to increase in value to S3OM within the next 10 years. This month a team of Japanese horticultural experts were touring New Zealand to study the potential of further exports of cut flowers,” he said.

However, there were many other examples of

how New Zealand could expand its trade, said Mr Austin.

A potential market for apples and cherries has been conservatively assessed at between SIOM and S2OM and research by the D.S.I.R.’s Entomology Division into eliminating codlin moth is playing a major role in ensuring this market. While Japan was already one of New Zealand’s two main markets for kiwifruit, exports could expect to increase significantly in line with our expanding output, Mr Austin said. There was also considerable scope for New Zealand as an off-season supplier of fresh vegetables such as buttercup pumpkins. “These vegetables make up an important part of the Japanese diet and New Zealand’s exports since 1978 have already risen from just over 400 tonnes to more than 2000 tonnes,” he said. With effective promotion and market research, there are markets in Japan also for processed and frozen fruit.