New Zealand's agri-food opportunities in China

Abstract

China has become New Zealand’s most important destination for food and fibre exports. In the year ending 30 June 2012, total exports from New Zealand to China were worth $6.1 billion, of which food and fibre exports were worth $4.9 billion. This was a three-fold increase in only five years. A main feature of these exports is that they have been mainly commodity-based. Although it is possible to find New Zealand branded food products in some supermarkets, the overall effect at the consumer level remains low. Despite its obvious importance, China remains a country which is poorly understood in New Zealand. This is particularly the case in relation to agri-food opportunities. In this article we set out what we consider to be the major forces which will shape the future opportunities.