The effort required to maintain and grow the export trade is considerable, and our exporters should be acknowledged for that effort and risks they take to move volumes of product off-shore during the peak season, even if returns offshore are often no better, and sometimes worse, than the domestic market.

TNZ, T&G Global and NZ Hothouse have been making a combined effort to grow and enhance the value of fresh tomato exports by jointly investing in research, market access and compliance, while the exporters themselves invest considerably in export market and product development.

Fresh New Zealand tomato exports were up in value and volume for the 2015-16 year – 3.796t and $10.17m FOB, compared to 2.953t and $8.06m the previous year and a peak volume of 4.305t and value of $14.51m in 2011. Japan and Australia are the top two destinations, followed by the USA, but exports were spread across a total of eighteen Pacific Rim and Asian countries, this past season.

The accompanying graph shows a trend of increasing total industry value, though it is clear that there is a relationship between exports and the total industry value. When exports were rising rapidly from 2008 to 2011 the total industry value rose rapidly, but total value steadied off again as export value dipped from 2012 to 2015. Then, last year, the total value rose with a rise in export value.

TomatoesNZ, with the assistance of Market Access Solutionz Ltd, is continually working on making sure that fresh tomato exporters can maintain and grow access to Asian markets in particular. This past season TomatoesNZ worked with exporters and MPI on implementing market access requirements for Thailand; ensuring export systems will meet new market requirements for Japan and discussing potential access to Vietnam.

TNZ submitted a request to MPI, via the Plants Markets Access Council to prioritise fresh tomato access for China and Korea, including commissioning an independent assessment of the market potential in China.

Stephen Ogden of Market Access Solutionz, represents TomatoesNZ at the Plants Markets Access Council (PMAC), a forum consisting of industry groups, the Ministry of Primary Industries, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade that work to improve market access for NZ’s plant products. Projects that the tomato sector is involved in include a Fly Market Access Contingency project, and addressing changes by Australia to offshore inspection protocols.

TomatoesNZ and NZ Hothouse have again supported a stand at the Asia Fruit Logistica expo, Hong Kong, 2-4 September 2016. Additionally, T&G Global will also showcase tomatoes at the expo in conjunction with other T&G produce, on the T&G Global stand. The expo provides excellent exposure for New Zealand Tomatoes in a market that is lucrative, rapidly growing and is accessible to NZ. 

Biosecurity is also a key component to maintaining and enhancing exports, as there are a number of tomato viruses and pests internationally which, if they arrive here in NZ, would not only cause a headache for growers to manage, but have the potential to restrict our access to export markets. TomatoesNZ is making an increasing amount of investment in biosecurity.

The Plant and Food, TomatoesNZ and Vegetables NZ ‘Fresher by Sea’ postharvest research project has been running for two years and will soon draw to a close. That project has investigated technologies and techniques to increases the shipping life of tomatoes and capsicums, to allow sea freight to the higher-value markets beyond Australia in its first year, and tested out some of those technologies in the second year.

Source: TomatoesNZ