Seed exports of $168m up 22pc

Rising seed-export sales have contributed $168 million to the New Zealand economy and are set to grow again in the 2012-13 season from promising trade opportunities.

Seed exports were up $31m or 22 per cent for last year, according to new trade data from Statistics New Zealand.

New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association (NZGSTA) manager Thomas Chin said future exports could be worth more as a result of developments in key international markets.

He said it showed the seed-trade industry was healthy.

‘‘We are pretty bullish about the future going forward and $168m is higher than our expectations. We were led to believe it would be a more modest export of seeds and were pleased it had grown $30m.’’

Chin said seed traders were forecasting $15m growth, and the extra income boded well as the outlook for the harvest was promising.

Radish, carrots, ryegrass and white and red clover are some of the high-value export seed crops grown in New Zealand and many are produced in Canterbury’s free-draining soils.

The most valuable markets are in the European Union, especially the Netherlands, plus Japan and Australia. Northern hemisphere growers rely particularly on Canterbury to multiply seed stocks in their off-season.

The Netherlands remains the major destination for carrots, radishes and other vegetable seeds, with Australian exports dominated by ryegrass and, combined, the markets account for 42 per cent of all seed exports.

Chin said growth opportunities beckoned for the industry with the China Free Trade Agreement fully bedded in and the end of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations approaching.