One in four of the potatoes grown in New Zealand is exported. This is a remarkable statistic, and is testament to the quality of New Zealand potatoes and export marketing efforts of the processed and fresh potato sectors. By far the major form of potato exports is French fries, a sector that has been growing steadily (by volume) each year.
In addition to the tables below, the product group analyses fresh potato exports by market and on a monthly basis (Source: Statistics New Zealand)
Fresh potato exports
Total potato exports were worth more than $80.8 million in 2008. Frozen potato products (mostly French fries) account for 79% of export value in 2008.
Over 70% of fresh potato exports went to Fiji in 2008, and the remainder was predominantly sent to markets in the Pacific and Asia with small amounts sent to both the European Union and the USA. Fresh potatoes are currently prohibited access to many potential markets such as Korea, Japan, and Australia. The industry has recently gained access for fresh potatoes to Taiwan and Korea, and it is hoped that these markets will grow in importance in the next few years.
Fresh potato (0701.90.00.00) export markets 2006-8 (year ending June, tonnes and $NZ FOB)
Market |
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
|
Volume
|
Value
|
Volume
|
Value
|
Volume
|
Value
|
|
Fiji
|
19,699
|
8,108,932
|
19,808
|
9,831,739
|
19,477
|
11,655,478
|
|
French Polynesia
|
1,580
|
728,935
|
1,927
|
1,276,310
|
2,477
|
1,952,981
|
|
New Caledonia
|
863
|
307,504
|
528
|
201,810
|
1,730
|
1,043,534
|
|
Samoa, Western
|
828
|
282,166
|
997
|
444,073
|
1,005
|
552,329
|
|
Pacific Islands
|
628
|
326,960
|
735
|
413,141
|
719
|
467,615
|
|
Philippines
|
100
|
38,497
|
1,103
|
344,475
|
927
|
309,514
|
|
Singapore
|
1,105
|
491,443
|
507
|
257,554
|
385
|
228,815
|
|
Cook Islands
|
334
|
147,809
|
353
|
188,668
|
346
|
226,502
|
|
Malaysia
|
1,507
|
583,512
|
191
|
129,735
|
407
|
197,018
|
|
Hong Kong
|
0
|
0
|
13
|
15,607
|
84
|
97,772
|
|
Thailand
|
0
|
0
|
49
|
39,442
|
26
|
34,250
|
|
European Union
|
123
|
55,530
|
68
|
244,125
|
48
|
33,854
|
|
United States of America
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
1,128
|
|
United Arab Emirates
|
0
|
0
|
124
|
59,531
|
0
|
0
|
|
Indonesia
|
0
|
0
|
13
|
8,549
|
0
|
50
|
|
Korea, Republic of
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
46
|
0
|
0
|
|
Brunei Darussalam
|
59
|
22,023
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Total
|
26,826
|
$11,093,338
|
26,417
|
$13,454,805
|
27,634
|
$16,800,840
|
Source: Statistics New Zealand
Seed potato exports
New Zealand produces high quality seed potatoes and there are opportunities for export into tropical areas where good quality seed cannot be produced.
Seed potato (0710.10.00.00) export markets 2006-8 (year ending June, tonnes and $NZ FOB)
Market |
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
|
Volume
|
Value
|
Volume
|
Value
|
Volume
|
Value
|
|
New Caledonia
|
181
|
164,535
|
174
|
161,979
|
204
|
197,646
|
|
French Polynesia
|
94
|
74,298
|
60
|
55,913
|
53
|
52,269
|
|
Malaysia
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
5,843
|
|
Pacific Islands
|
ns
|
ns
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
828
|
|
Tonga
|
2
|
600
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
77
|
|
Falkland Islands
|
0
|
744
|
5
|
3,660
|
0
|
0
|
|
Samoa, Western
|
12
|
1,450
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Total
|
290
|
$241,627
|
239
|
$221,552
|
265
|
$256,663
|
Source: Statistics New Zealand
Processed potato exports
The processed potato industry has shown some volatility over the past couple of years, with exports reaching 89,169 tonnes in 2007 but dropping back to 72,734 tonnes in 2008. The main export market is Australia which takes over 70% of New Zealand's exports, and is a market which continues to grow. The next largest market is Japan which accounts for less than 5% of New Zealand's frozen potato exports.
Frozen potato (2004.10.00.00 & 0710.10.00.00) export markets 2006-8 (year ending June, tonnes and $NZ FOB)
Market |
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
|
Volume
|
Value
|
Volume
|
Value
|
Volume
|
Value
|
|
Australia
|
28,147
|
25,033,639
|
51,676
|
43,886,104
|
52,254
|
42,282,249
|
|
Japan
|
3,582
|
3,790,843
|
5,131
|
5,371,604
|
3,553
|
3,943,042
|
|
French Polynesia
|
2,568
|
2,520,637
|
2,805
|
3,096,087
|
2,379
|
3,131,675
|
|
Pacific Islands
|
1,109
|
1,252,554
|
1,697
|
2,004,697
|
1,690
|
2,260,462
|
|
Papua New Guinea
|
1,011
|
1,024,956
|
1,661
|
1,744,010
|
1,977
|
2,249,586
|
|
Malaysia
|
8,668
|
7,388,364
|
9,012
|
7,772,821
|
2,401
|
1,933,581
|
|
India
|
866
|
945,889
|
1,502
|
1,633,175
|
1,872
|
1,562,892
|
|
Pakistan
|
981
|
1,087,603
|
1,176
|
1,293,082
|
1,317
|
1,326,419
|
|
Fiji
|
1,584
|
1,556,738
|
1,659
|
1,742,042
|
1,046
|
1,258,564
|
|
Thailand
|
3,838
|
3,292,253
|
4,272
|
3,944,712
|
1,398
|
1,169,828
|
|
Singapore
|
923
|
797,510
|
1,115
|
1,095,101
|
683
|
712,933
|
|
Indonesia
|
4,594
|
3,818,721
|
2,757
|
2,427,354
|
719
|
569,861
|
|
Philippines
|
3,047
|
2,455,726
|
357
|
318,289
|
507
|
467,603
|
|
Taiwan
|
2,336
|
1,935,078
|
2,146
|
1,960,100
|
491
|
380,622
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
137
|
156,326
|
161
|
174,502
|
184
|
160,186
|
|
Hong Kong
|
1,112
|
929,011
|
938
|
924,074
|
87
|
131,171
|
|
Brunei Darussalam
|
20
|
20,739
|
129
|
177,264
|
88
|
106,402
|
|
Korea
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
44
|
50,290
|
|
Mauritius
|
35
|
43,900
|
62
|
79,229
|
15
|
19,942
|
|
Maldives
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
23
|
18,861
|
|
Seychelles
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2,536
|
6
|
8,082
|
|
China
|
1,951
|
1,418,126
|
881
|
857,549
|
0
|
0
|
|
European Union
|
0
|
0
|
31
|
36,832
|
0
|
0
|
|
United States of America
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
170
|
0
|
0
|
|
Vietnam
|
21
|
37,564
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Total
|
66,530
|
$59,506,177
|
89,169
|
$80,538,798
|
72,734
|
$63,744,251
|
Source: Statistics New Zealand
|
